Reset
by The Mocking J
Summary: Luke doesn't want to say goodbye to the professor. He wishes he could relive their past adventures... with dire results.
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

 _'Dear Luke_

 _I'm delighted to hear you are settling in. Flora and I are doing well, though we miss you dearly._

 _Thank you for the puzzle you sent me. (It took me two Hint Coins to solve it!) The stamp you made appears very professional with a personal touch. Truly, it is the mark of a young gentleman._

 _As for the document accompanying your letter, and for the mystery it details... I'm sorry to say this is one case you may have to solve without me being there, at least for now. (However, I'd be more than happy to offer advice through our written correspondence.)_

 _I'm trying to make up for lost time working at the university. My students require my upmost support with their examinations fast-approaching. Flora is also in the middle of revising for her GCSEs. (I suppose you will soon be busy with school as well?)_

 _I'll admit, there is another reason our hands are full. Inspector Chelmey brought to my attention an eight-year-old boy whose family perished during the attack on London. He will be staying with us until further arrangements can be made. His name is Alfendi. I hope the two of you will have the chance to meet someday. He is an inquisitive young man, rather like someone I know._

 _Once again, I regret that I can't visit you sooner. But don't be disheartened, my boy; I will suggest to Flora and Alfendi that we could join you during the Easter holidays (for a 'vacation', as the Americans say), as long as it is satisfactory with your parents. In the meantime, perhaps you could investigate this mystery with your new friends._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Professor Hershel Layton'_

Luke read the letter slowly, imagining Professor Layton speaking the words aloud. His brow furrowed the further he got down the page. Finally, he reached the professor's formal signature. Luke had at least expected him to finish with 'Your friend' or 'Your mentor', but no…

He shook his head. Of course the professor wouldn't try to detach himself from Luke— he was the one who had promised their friendship would endure, no matter the time or distance between them.

Slightly reassured, Luke studied the signature again. Maybe the professor had just written his letter in a hurry. That shouldn't have been too surprising; he was a very busy man, even more so without his apprentice there to assist him! Luke chuckled as he pictured the professor's disorganized office. How would Rosa and Flora cope by themselves…?

They had Alfendi.

Luke swallowed. Really, it was good to hear the professor's family was growing, especially after what had happened to Claire. Plus, Flora would have more company. She was so upset the day Luke left… but now, Alfendi could be like her little brother. The two of them could go out on their own adventures. Flora could — or probably would need to — help the professor take care of him.

Because the professor didn't have enough time.

Sighing, Luke gingerly folded the letter on his desk and gazed out of his bedroom window.

His neighbor, a slender pink-haired girl, was walking her pet Pomeranian. Luke waved to them, but gained no response. The dog would bark at so much as a fallen leaf, while the girl was lost in her own little world, listening to blaring music. Besides her absentmindedness, she seemed affable enough when Luke bumped into her the other day… though, the Pomeranian barked at Luke to be careful of his mistress.

At that moment, the Pomeranian went darting after a grey squirrel, which scurried up the oak tree overlooking Luke's bedroom. "Are you okay, Kiki?" Luke called.

The squirrel confirmed, breathlessly, that she was, crawling along a branch to get closer to Luke. She asked if he was okay.

"Not really…" Luke admitted. "I just got my first letter from the professor, but he isn't able to visit me yet."

She chittered something about acorns cheering him up. Luke shook his head, but she had already hurried up to the higher branches. He appreciated her kind offer and her company, but there was hardly any way that she or his other animal friends could help with this mystery. At most, they could inform him of any 'strange smelling humans' lingering at the museum where his dad worked...

He glanced at the tree again when he heard Kiki chattering. His dad was home.

"Thanks, Kiki!" He grabbed the professor's letter and dashed out of his room.

Luke made it downstairs just as Clark trudged through the front door, briefcase in hand.

"Dad "

"Hello, Luke—"

"You'll never guess what I've got," the two of them said together.

Clark gestured to him. "You first."

"The professor replied to my letter!"

Clark smiled. "I told you he wouldn't take long..." The three-week wait had been agonizing for Luke.

"What have you got?" Luke prompted.

"I'll show you at dinner," Clark said, leading him into the dining room. "Let's not keep your mother and Doland waiting." Luke couldn't argue with that— Doland was cooking roast lamb.

When the Tritons and their butler were seated at the table, Luke read the professor's letter for all of them to hear. Brenda was surprised but delighted to learn Layton had taken in Alfendi. Clark was a tad more skeptical, wondering how he would cope.

"Hershel is more than capable," Brenda said. She glanced at the dining room cabinet, where there was a photo of her family, Layton, Flora and the Barde siblings from when they all gotten together in London. "He managed to look after both Luke and Flora."

"Despite a few close scrapes…" Clark took a sip of wine. "At least he's taking a break from perilous adventures for the time being. Let's just hope he doesn't overwork himself. I should ask Dr. Schrader to keep an eye on him in my next letter—"

"Can he, Flora and Alfendi stay with us at Easter?" Luke pleaded.

Clark inclined his head. "Of course, as long as it doesn't clash with school or work."

"What do you mean?"

"Flora and Alfendi might have different term times to you," Brenda explained gently. "And it sounds like the professor is just as busy as your father and I. But even if that's the case, they can always come for a weekend."

"That won't be enough time to solve the museum mystery," Luke said with dismay. Even the professor's shortest cases had taken up to three days. Their trip to find the Azran eggs was more than a month!

"I doubt there will be a mystery for much longer." Clark retrieved a piece of shining blue rock from his briefcase, placing it carefully on the table. "This is a fragment of the Temsik Meteorite stolen from the museum three weeks ago. It was confiscated from a man thought to have been present at scene of the crime, and he is now being questioned by the police."

Leaning in closer, Brenda peered at the meteorite fragment. "Why is it in your possession now?"

"I was asked to confirm whether or not it is authentic… If it is, we can hopefully use it to recover the rest of the meteorite— Luke, where are you going?"

He had tried to sneak away from the table. His shoulders were hunched, making him appear smaller, and his eyes were shielded by his cap. "Up to bed. I don't feel very well."

"You've hardly touched your food," Doland pointed out in concern.

"'M not hungry."

"Luke…" Brenda stood up and pulled him into a hug, smoothing his hair.

He hiccupped. "I… I _miss_ him."

"We all do," Clark added softly.

Luke shot him a tearful look. "No, you don't— not like I do."

"Now, Luke—"

"W-why did you make us move?" Luke demanded thickly. "Everything was fine in London."

"You know it wasn't," Clark corrected him, keeping a cool tone of voice. "Half of the city was destroyed by that madman— Who looks just like you, might I add—"

"Clark, that's enough," Brenda cut in.

"Stop saying that!" Luke twisted out of Brenda's arms to face him. "The professor would p-protect us! He always does!"

"I know how much he tries—"

"He tries a lot harder than YOU!"

"Luke Triton!" Brenda gripped his shoulders, firmly enough to silence him without hurting him. "You mustn't speak to your father like that, ever! Go to your room— Doland, will you accompany him, please? I'll be up in a minute…"

"I don't need Doland," Luke muttered, moving away from her.

Clark snapped, "Will you at least listen to your mother—"

"You never listen!" Luke tore out of the room, knocking the table as he went. The meteorite fragment fell to the floor. It was probably broken. Good, Luke thought as he reached his bedroom, slamming the door shut. He pressed his ear against the door; his parents were arguing, but he couldn't hear Doland out there.

He wanted to lock everyone out, like he had done back in Misthallery. He'd refuse to open up to anyone but the professor, like on the day they first met. The professor would probably chide him for his rash behavior, for his spiteful words towards his father, but at least he would be here.

A letter — Luke needed to write him a letter. If his dad didn't let him send it by post, he would ask a bird to deliver it. He rushed to his typewriter.

 _'Professor, I need your help!_

 _I miss you, Flora, and Emmy and everyone else! I miss our adventures! I wish things could go back to the way they were —_

 _I wish I could be your apprentice again.'_


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Luke lifted his head with a groan. The faint grey light behind his curtains did little to brighten his room. Had he fallen asleep at his desk? He was surprised Mum or Dad hadn't tried to move him...

The argument. Luke bit his lip. His parents must have been furious after what he'd said. Did no one come to check on his afterwards?

He shivered... and no wonder, for he was only wearing his white shirt. When had he taken off his jumper? His gze drifted to the carpet—

Brown floorboards.

He glanced at the walls, expecting to find a fresh coat of blue paint. Instead, there was stripy beige wallpaper that smelled like buttered toast.

 _"WHAAA-?!"_ Luke fell out of his chair. He tottered to his feet and tore open the curtains, gaping at the foggy treetops, mismatched slate roofs and distant hills before him.

Misthallery. This was his old, old house in Misthallery.

He rubbed his eyes. Surely, he was still half-asleep…

When his vision cleared, he noticed the half-finished letter on his typewriter. Luke yelped again when he recognized the date of the letter— over _three years_ ago— and its contents.

 _'Hershel, my dear old friend, I must earnestly seek your help again...'_

This was... This was the first time he'd written to the professor, posing as his father, which meant the specter was still running rampant, and Descole was—

"Master Luke?" Luke jumped when he heard Doland— No, _Descole!_ — tap on his bedroom door. "I heard a shout. Are you alright?"

Right now, the real Doland and Mum were locked in the cellar. They had been in there for six months. Luke wanted nothing more than to free them. But how could he outrun Descole? Even if Luke reached the cellar before him, he could hurt Dad, or unleash his specter robots like when he was outed by the professor-

The professor. Luke needed his help to save Misthallery, and maybe to solve Luke's time travelling predicament too. Somehow, his wish had come true. He'd been thrown three years back in time. There was no other explanation for it.

Dimitri immediately sprung to mind. But hadn't he promised to stop working on his machine? Clive seemed like the more obvious perpetrator. Was this his twisted way of getting back at Luke and the professor? But he wouldn't have access to a time machine, unless he's broken out of prison. Then again, Descole would certainly have access to the tools...

Was Descole— or anyone else— aware of this… 'time loop'? (Or whatever it was called?)

Desco-land's knocks had increased now. "Master Luke? Please may I come in? I'm getting worried..."

 _More like suspicious,_ Luke thought darkly. Luke took a deep breath and unlocked the door. He plastered on a smile. "Morning, Doland! Sorry to keep you waiting. I only just woke up. Fell out of bed, haha..."

"I see." Desco-land had raised an eyebrow, but he returned the smile. "You're in cheerful spirits, anyhow?"

Oh, right. Ten-year-old Luke was a moody 'oracle'. He yawned. "I guess... but I'm really hungry…"

"Would you like me to make you some breakfast?"

 _So you can poison me?_

Luke chimed, "Toast would be nice!"

"I'll bring it up to you in five minutes."

Luke waited until Desco-land had gone downstairs before locking his bedroom door.

 _Phew!_ Imagine if he'd seen the professor's letter… Fortunately, Descole didn't discover the letter before, in the original timeline (Luke's head was spinning), so he shouldn't now. Luke could play it safe until the professor arrived.

Frantically, he finished typing up the letter, ending it with 'Regards, Clark.'

He was just sealing the letter into the envelope, when there was another knock at the door. Luke froze. Descole was on to him. He was going to be thrown into the cellar, or worse...!

Never had he been so relieved to hear his father's voice. "Luke, open the door."

Luke slipped the letter under his hat before doing as he was asked. He was met with Clark's frowning face.

"I heard you crying out. Doland told me you fell out of bed. Is this true?"

Luke nodded.

Clark sighed with noticeable relief. "You've been cooped up in here for so long, it's making you languid. When was the last time you had some fresh air?"

Luke shrugged. Clark nudged him out of the door and down the hallway. "Go outside and play with your friends."

Arianna was still holed up at Barde Manor, believing she was cursed and doomed to die. Luke could at least visit her before the professor arrived, saving her from another day of misery.

"Fine," he mumbled, mooching downstairs. He scoffed down his toast and complained to Desco-land that he was being 'forced' to leave the house. Then, he set off.

The cool morning air helped clear his thoughts. First and foremost, he had to send out the professor's letter. He would use a postbox further away from the house, in case Descole got nosy. Next, he wanted to visit Barde Manor. But what if Arianna refused to see him...?

His reverie was interrupted by a _"Squeak!"_

"T-Toppy?" Tears welled up in his eyes as the the little mouse scurried towards him from the woodland. The last time Luke had seen Toppy was before their trip to St. Mystere. Toppy had been too poorly to accompany them... Unfortunately, field mice didn't live for many years.

Luke scooped Toppy up, gently stroking his head. "I missed you so much!"

Toppy wrinkled his nose. _"Squee...?"_

"I promise I'll take better care of you this time—"

As the possibilities dawned on him, Luke's eyes widened.

He could save everyone. All of their friends who had suffered or perished during their adventures. He could prevent Loosha from fighting Descole's robots. Sadly, it was too late to help Melina; she had succumbed to her illness a year before the opera, according to Janice. (If only she had held on until the Golden Garden was uncovered...)

Randall Ascot, on the other hand, was alive. He could reunite with Henry and Angela sooner, without any chaos from the Masked Gentleman.

Then there was Aurora...

He could stop Descole and Targents' plans before they were even put in motion.

"One mystery at a time," he muttered to Toppy as they made their way to the market. He needed to make things right with Arianna, and for that he would need to talk to Aunt Taffy.

He put the professor's letter in the postbox by the crossroads. (The letter contained a first class stamp, so he and Emmy should arrive tomorrow.) Finch was very surprised to see Luke "spreading his wings" outside.

Someone had roped off one of the twin bridges— no doubt to discourage people from leaving town— but Toppy gnawed a hole in the ropes for Luke to slip through. Surprisingly, Luke didn't mind being small again. (Well... _smaller._ )

He hurried across the other bridge leading to the market entrance, where Aunt Taffy's cart was placed.

Aunt Taffy shook her head when he asked for a cherry flavored lollipop (Arianna's favorite). "Sorry, sonny. I'm all out of lollipops. That sweetie-pie from Highyard Hill came and bought every last one."

"Did he have chestnut-colored hair?"

"Friend of yours?"

"Yes. I was going to say hello to him and his sister... Please could I just buy some toffees?"

She handed him a bag filled with more than just toffees. "Be a dear and deliver these extra treats to them. Those two deserve it."

Luke thanked her. Suddenly, he felt like he was being watched. He turned. Wren and Socket were stood on the steps outside of the market, whispering to each other. Luke waved to them. Only Wren reluctantly waved back. Socket was too busy eyeing up Luke's bulging bag of sweets.

Holding the bag close, Luke went to ask Bucky if he could hitch a ride up to Highyard Hill. Bucky agreed… in exchange for a toffee that got caught between his teeth.

The grounds of Barde Manor had reverted to their derelict state. A shadow shifted at one of the upstairs windows, retreating when Luke looked up. What must Arianna think, seeing him here? He squared his shoulders and knocked at the front doors. After a minute, one of the doors creaked open by a crack.

"What are you doing here, whippersnapper?" (How could they had not realized it was a little boy sooner?)

Luke squinted at him. "Hello... Tony, is that you?"

"Poppycock! I'm Seamus, the gardener-"

"No one has tended to the garden in months," Luke pointed out. "All of the servants at Barde Manor were let go—"

The door slammed shut. Luke sighed. Was this how his father always felt with him? Once again, he knocked and firmly requested, "Tony, please let me in. I need to see Arianna— I have some treats for her from Aunt Taffy. You can have some if you like..."

Tony Barde poked his head out. He had removed his mop of a white wig. "Come in, quickly," he whispered.

He followed Tony up the cobweb covered staircase, inquiring about how he and his sister were feeling. Tony replied with a shrug.

Despite knowing how things would turn out between them, Luke began to sweat as they approached Arianna's room. If he was honest, he hadn't spent much time with Arianna before he left for America. He'd wanted to enjoy every last second he had with the professor. He made a vow to keep in better contact with her in future.

Tony led him inside, calling for Arianna. She was no longer sitting at the window.

Her voice floated from beyond the closed curtains of her four poster bed. "Hm...? What is it, Tony? I'm not… not feeling very well today..."

Luke stepped forward. "Arianna, it's me. I'm sorry to disturb you, but please can we talk?"

"Luke Triton? No... I don't think I'm up for it—" She gasped as Luke drew back the curtains, much to Tony's complaints.

"Well, you certainly had enough energy to rush from the window to your bed," Luke huffed.

Arianna sat up straight against the pillows, piercing him with a frosty glare. "What do you want, Luke? You have no right to just barge in here—"

A shower of sweets fell into her lap. "These are a present from Aunt Taffy," Luke explained. "She asked me to give them to you and Tony."

Arianna blinked at the sugary gifts. "Why? We don't need her pity—"

"Aunt Taffy is actually really nice," Tony piped up. "She's always chatting to me..."

"All of the market people seem decent. They're just a little rough around the edges," Luke said. He frowned at Arianna. "But they're absolutely _terrified_ of you."

"They should be... I am the calamity witch. And if you do not leave, Luke, you will surely be cursed too—"

"No, he won't."

Arianna and Luke turned to Tony. "And why not?" Luke said.

Tony admitted in a rush, "I— I made up the curse... and the witch's mark... to scare anyone who said mean things about you." At least, this time, he was able to confess without the professor's intervention.

Arianna covered her mouth. "Tony... How could you?"

"I... I just wanted to protect you from the townspeople," her little brother whimpered. He turned to Luke desperately. "But they're not all bad... Right?"

"Right!" Luke nodded. He took Arianna's cold hand. "You'll see— as soon as we get those rumors cleared up, everyone will want to be your friend again. I already ran into some of the Black Ravens— I mean, the market kids. It's not you they truly fear— it's the specter! But even the specter isn't what it seems."

"How can you be so certain?" Arianna whispered.

"Are you... the oracle?" Tony breathed. Taking Luke's cringing silence as a 'yes', Tony continued, "Charlie told me that the oracle predicts where the specter will strike, saving people's lives."

"Is it true, Luke?"

 _"Sort of..."_ Luke mumbled, amazed at the irony of his 'predictions'. He paused, debating how safe it would be to tell Arianna and Tony the truth. (Not about his time travelling abilities— that was a whole other world of disbelief!) Could they keep the specter's true form a secret until the professor arrived? What were the chances of them running into Descole or Third Eye Jakes? Before, Arianna had been captured by Jakes without having prior knowledge of Descole's plans. Maybe Luke could keep her and Tony informed enough so they would steer clear of any danger.

Besides, Tony had already admitted his secret. Luke could do the same.

Luke met Tony's awed gaze and revealed, "One day, I noticed how the water level had dropped in the canal. Later, the spectre attacked that very same area. I started tracking the water levels until it become clear that it was linked to the spectre's appearances. See, no supernatural being would have to rely on something as regulated as that—"

There was an impatient squeak from Luke's pocket. "Oh! And this is my friend Toppy. He helped me work out the pattern."

Tony all but shrieked when Luke pulled out the field mouse. "Don't let it near Arianna! It could be carrying _germs!"_

"No, _he_ isn't," Luke retorted, holding Toppy out to Arianna for him to say hello. "He said it's nice to meet you.

Arianna's eyes widened. "Y-you can understand him?"

"I have a… special connection with most animals."

"Are you sure you not a magical oracle?" Tony checked.

"No. I'm just his friend."

Hesitantly, Arianna petted Toppy's head. "Can… Can I be his friend too?"

Toppy squeaked in agreement. Luke smiled. "He says he would like that."

Arianna smiled back at him. Finally, she rose out of bed, fixing the ribbon in her hair. "Luke, would you… would you please join us for lunch? I feel that we have a lot of catch up on."

"He _can't!"_ Tony protested. He looked at Luke apologetically. "I—I mean… Won't your family be expecting you to come home for lunch?"

Luke shook his head sadly. "Mum isn't home and my dad doesn't want me there." Technically, he was telling the truth. His mother was locked _underneath_ the house, and Luke guessed his father had aked him to get out for his own safety. (He hoped the two of them could bear with Descole for another day…)

"What do you mean?" Arianna asked. She always assumed his family was perfect.

"I haven't seen my mum for… for months." He struggled to remember the time difference, when it felt like he had only seen her yesterday. "My dad told me she went travelling, but I know that's not true. She would never leave without a word…"

"I had no idea," Arianna said softly. "Oh, Luke— I'm so sorry! I should never have shut you out—"

"It's okay," he assured her. "I understand."

This time, she took his hand. "Now you have to stay for lunch. I insist." She led him out of the bedroom and downstairs. Tony trailed after them.

Luke was confused as she marched out of the front doors. "Aren't we eating in your lounge or the dining hall?" (Though, the idea wasn't very appealing with all of the dust…)

"Don't be silly. We're going to have a picnic. Tony, grab the picnic supplies and the flute."

"The flute?" Luke repeated. That could only mean one thing...

"Have you told the police about your mother's disappearance?" Arianna inquired as they trooped past the tower.

"No," Luke grumbled. (Shame on Jakes for fooling him once.) "I doubt they'd look for her, anyway. They've barely done anything to stop the spectre…"

Arianna hummed. "I never thought about how insubstantial the investigation into my father's death was…" She let out a breath. "Let's not bring that up now. There's someone I want you to meet."

Tony caught up to them when they reached the lakeshore. He was laden down with the specter's flute, a blue rug perhaps too regal to hold a picnic, and a basket filled with pears.

Luke grinned. "Are those all for us?"

Tony tucked the basket under his arm, away from Luke. He gave Arianna a worried glance. "Are you sure about this?"

Arianna nodded firmly, picking up her flute. "Luke has knowledge of the specter. He deserves to know who has been defending the town."

She strode to the end of the boardwalk and began to play. Of course, Luke knew what was going on, but he still had goosebumps. A lump caught in his throat as Loosha emerged from the misty waves. _Loosha_ , who had died in front of his eyes.

She squealed at the sight of her friends and swam over to them, drenching the boardwalk. Tony's wary expression melted away as he rushed to stroke Loosha.

Arianna mistook Luke's quietness for apprehension. She guided his hand up to Loosha's snout. "Don't worry; she won't bite..." Loosha nudged Luke with her large nose, nearly knocking him off he board walk. Luke released a wet laugh.

"This is our good friend Loosha," Arianna introduced. "Loosha, this is Luke and Toppy. They're our friends too."

"It's nice to meet you, Loosha..."

Toppy leapt from Luke's arm to Loosha's head. Loosha almost went cross-eyed as she peered up at the mouse.

As they settled down for their picnic on the boardwalk, Arianna chatted to Luke about how they had met Loosha when she was no bigger than Tony. After their father's demise, they spent more and more time together.

Luke looked up at Loosha as Tony fed her a pear. He frowned when he recognized the scratches on her body. "Did Loosha injure herself?"

Tony touched a recently healed scar on Loosha's neck. "No," he growled. "Those are from fighting the specter."

"Loosha calms down and comes home whenever I play this flute," Arianna explained. "But she still goes to battle the specter, night after night. I know she's trying to protect the town, but I'm worried that one day, she won't come back…" She stared at Luke pleadingly. "Could you… Could you ask Loosha to stop putting herself in danger?"

Luke stood up and passed her plea on to Loosha. At the mention of the specter, Loosha slapped her tail in the water and released a moody wail.

Luke turned to Arianna and Tony, translating, "She says she won't stop fighting until the specter is gone... and the Golden Garden can heal Arianna." (Alright, so Loosha had just said 'healing garden', but Luke knew what she meant.)

"The _Golden Garden_?" Tony echoed. "Where is that? And how can it heal Arianna?"

If Luke revealed anymore, they would wonder why he hadn't informed them sooner for Arianna's sake. He simply said, "I don't know... But I just wrote a letter to my dad's friend, an archaeology professor. I'm sure he can help us stop the specter, and maybe find the Golden Garden."

"Could we ask people around town about the garden while we're waiting for him to arrive?" Tony suggested.

Luke chewed his lip. They could have visited the town's dig site and questioned the local archaeologists, but it would be too risky if Descole caught them there...

However, Descole wouldn't be seen dead at the market if he could avoid it. Luke smiled. "Good idea, Tony. We can start at the market!"

Arianna had gone quiet. Tugging on her sleeve, Tony soothed her, "It's alright if you'd rather stay here with Loosha. I can go with Luke..."

When Arianna went to Loosha for comfort, the manatee butted her hand and offered an encouraging _"Eeeei!"_

Arianna smiled nervously. "Loosha thinks I should join you."

"That settles it then," Luke said.

He warned Loosha to keep herself hidden before they said goodbye. Toppy, still perched on Loosha's head, decided to stay with her for company.

Arianna stepped out of Barde Manor with Tony and Luke on either side of her.

Fortunately, the only people they passed were Tony's friend Sean and a kind lady called Mimi, who smiled at them. Bucky greeted the Barde siblings with his booming voice and his broad grin. Luke occupied his attention during the boat ride, while Arianna sat behind Tony. The journey downstream seemed to calm her, so much that she managed to thank Aunt Taffy for her gift.

At the market, the first Black Raven they encountered was Marilyn, arguably the most laidback member of the gang.

Marilyn chuckled when Tony purchased some more pears for Loosha. "Pears are in high demand today, but who am I to complain?" She passed the fruits to Tony and asked if she could help them with anything else. Luke explained that they were after any information regarding the Golden Garden.

"If you're interested in treasures and legends, you should definitely check out the black market! Rumor has it it's run by a creepy man."

"Thank you," Arianna replied. She told Tony and Luke, "The black market— I believe that's where Papa bought the flute."

"So, that's where we'll go," Luke decided.

They tried to get directions from Wren and Socket, but the duo was alarmed by the appearance of Arianna.

"It's the w-w-witch girl!" Socket cried.

"Please don't curse us!" Wren begged. "We're sorry for eatin' all that candy—"

Before Luke could set them straight, Tony stepped forward. "My sister is not a witch. I'm the one who painted the red mark on your houses and spread lies about the curse. I'm very sorry for that, but please don't blame my sister."

"Oh…" Wren studied Arianna, whose gaze was cemented to the ground. "I guess we all overreacted… Did you guys need something?"

Wren was generous enough to inform them of the four raven medals that would grant them access to the black market. Luke tried not to feel smug at how quickly they located the medals and assembled the raven's body. (The novelty of knowing every puzzle in advance would wear off soon.) Roddy couldn't believe it, but he had no choice other than to let them enter the black market.

"If it isn't the affluent Barde family! Come to barter with the Black Raven?"

At the sight of the Black Raven, Tony hid behind Luke. However, Arianna was not daunted by a figure in a mask, when she herself had been deemed a monster. She held up her flute. "My father, Evan Barde, claimed to have bought this flute from you one year ago. Is that correct?"

"Why do you wish to know? I'm afraid we don't offer refunds, even in the case of deceased relatives—"

"My father _died_ shortly after his dealings with you," Arianna snapped, her eyes flashing. "You're going to tell me if this flute had anything to do with it."

"Or _what_ , little witch?" the Black Raven cackled. "You'll _curse_ me?"

"Or we could just reveal your identities," Luke casually proposed.

The Black Raven— or rather, _Crow—_ spluttered and whizzed behind the stage curtain.

"I'm so confused…" Tony whined.

Luke shrugged. "Isn't it obvious? The kids living at the market are all aware of the Black Raven's business..."

"And they need to earn their pocket money from somewhere," Arianna said, heading backstage. "Come on."

They found Crow, unmasked, tearing through his sales records. "Look," he hissed to Arianna. "I don't know how your _witchy powers_ let you find out about us, but if I give you the info you're after, will you leave the black market in peace?"

Arianna nodded tersely. Crow recalled how, six months ago, Evan Barde had won the flute at an auction.

Tony gasped, "Could the spectre have come for our father… because he possessed the flute?"

"Doubt it," Crow huffed. "Like I said, that flute only _resembles_ the specter's flute of legend." He added in an exaggerated whisper, "It's probably just a piece of junk."

Clutching the flute to her chest, Arianna pondered, "Then what really happened to our father? Perhaps we should pay Chief Jakes a visit—"

"Good luck with that one," Crow snorted, gathering up his records. (Luke was glad for the distraction he provided.)

Arianna glared at him. "We're not finished yet. Do you know anything about the Golden Garden?"

"Only the part of the legend that our Black Raven trial is based on. The Bird of Illusion is said to guide those seeking the garden."

"That's all?" Arianna said. "Fine. I'll just buy that tyre and we'll take our leave." She was referring to a large decrepit tyre in the corner of the room. Crow was gobsmacked at the amount of money she handed him. She ordered for the tyre to be delivered to the outskirts of Barde Manor.

Crow tipped his cap to her, suddenly looking content. "Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Barde. Come back any time." It seemed he had gotten over his fear of Arianna.

Luke smiled as they left the black market. Befriending the Black Ravens would be a benefit if they had any trouble off Jakes or Descole.

As soon as they were outside, Arianna recalled the idea of confronting Jakes, but Luke argued that they should leave it for today, since it was getting late.

"What are you going to do now, Luke?" Tony wondered.

Arianna asserted, "You can't go home after the vile way your father treated you—"

"I never said he was like that," Luke corrected her. He lowered his voice as some evening market-goers went past. "It's not Dad that I'm scared of- it's the specter who is controlling him."

"But you said the specter wasn't something supernatural," Tony mumbled.

"Whatever it is, it's not safe for you at home," Arianna insisted. "You have to stay with us tonight."

Luke agreed, but he still had to tell his dad where he was going and grab some essentials from his room. Arianna and Tony were determined to come with him. However, Luke convinced them to head home and promised he would be at Barde Manor within the hour. He feared that the siblings might reveal what they had learned in front of Descole. The last thing he needed was for Descole to target either of them.

Luke was relieved that it was Beth who welcomed him home. He asked her where his father was. Before she could answer, Clark traipsed downstairs, greeting Luke. There a painful welt above his jaw.

 _"Dad! What happened?!"_

"This…" Clark rubbed his jaw. "I caught it on a razor. Nothing to worry about."

Luke bristled. Had Descole dared to hurt his Dad? _Oh, just wait until the professor got here…!_

Clark sighed, "I don't suppose the fresh air helped to raise your spirits—"

"It did, actually," Luke said through gritted teeth. "I caught up with some friends." He didn't wish to elaborate but his father was persistent.

"Really? Which friends?"

"Arianna and Tony."

"That's good news for all of you!" his father exclaimed. "How are the two of them?"

"They're... getting better," Luke said. "They even invited me to stay at their house tonight—"

"Superb idea! I won't keep you, then." He allowed Luke to pass him on the stairs.

Luke hung on for a moment. "Dad... You should be more careful."

"You worry far too much for someone your age. Now go and see your friends."

In a flash, Luke had packed a change of clothes, some pyjamas, his journal and Mr. Bear. Before leaving the house, he recruited Beth to help clean Barde Manor tomorrow. She would also be able to look after Tony and Arianna while he began his investigation with the professor.

 _"Master Luke!"_

Luke paused in the middle of crossing the south pier. He swore under his breath (the professor would have to forgive him) and turned to see Desco-land jogging towards him.

"Master Luke," he repeated, puffing. "You forgot your toothbrush!"

"Thanks." It took all of Luke's restraint not to snatch it from him and run.

Descole wasn't letting him go that easily. "Is Miss Arianna recovering?"

Was this about her father's (altered) will? If the eldest Barde child was incapacitated, that was one more excuse to keep her father's land out of her hands. The land that was rightfully hers.

"No..." Luke lied. It was safer to let him think she wasn't a threat. "She spent a lot of time in bed when I saw her. She only brightened up a little in the afternoon."

"Perhaps it was your presence that rallied her. She seems very fond of you, and vice-versa.

His implication made Luke's cheeks flare up. "I— I guess... Um, I should probably get going now."

"Of course, of course. My apologies for delaying you."

He went at a casual pace, but he could still feel Descole's gaze boring into his back. Luke tried not to let his words unsettle him. Of course he cared about Arianna— and Tony!

But what did Arianna think of him? He couldn't fathom her feelings anymore than the first time he had been in this situation. His thirteen-year-old mind only complicated matters. She had kissed him on the cheek before he left Misthallery, but that had been the one and only time. Maybe she had given up on him because he was always running around with the professor...

Whatever it meant, the Arianna he knew now was just starting to open her heart to the world again. He wouldn't let anything jepordise her newfound happiness.

Just when he thought he could reach Barde Manor without incident, a mournful _"Meow!"_ made him freeze at the old gate. Something dark and distinctly feline shaped crossed his peripheral vision. He turned, letting out a sigh when he spotted Keats, the puzzle keeping cat.

"It's good to see you again, Keats."

Keats tipped his head at the sound of his name. Curiously, the cat followed Luke up to Barde Manor.

"Are you trying to turn our house into an animal shelter?" Tony quipped as Luke came into the manor with Keats behind him.

"It's nice to have some company for a change," Arianna said, handing Toppy to Luke. "Though, I'm afraid we haven't had a chance to prepare one of the guest rooms… so you'll be sharing Tony's room."

As was typical for Luke that day, nothing went as planned. After feasting on Aunt Taffy's sweets and playing an exhausting game of charades, the three children fell asleep in the lounge, huddled together on an old divan.

Luke cracked an eye open when he felt Keats curl up beside him. Careful not to disturb Arianna or Tony, Luke got up to double check the front doors and windows were locked. Satisfied that there would be no break-ins for tonight, Luke grabbed a blanket from Tony's room and returned to the divan, sharing the blanket with his friends.

Luke smiled sleepily. Tomorrow, he would be reunited with Professor Layton.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

It hadn't all been a dream. Luke was still three years younger, still in Misthallery and still at Barde Manor when he awoke. (Not that he was complaining!)

After a breakfast of fruit salad, courtesy of Tony, they went out to play with Loosha. They made sure to wrap up warm, but Luke worried it still might be too cold for Arianna.

"You're fussing more than Tony," Arianna said, rolling her eyes. "The fresh air will do me some good."

Luke smiled, amazed at the change in her already. A bit of sympathy from the townspeople went a long way. His thoughts strayed to another lonely girl, shut up in her tower. How could he and the professor meet her sooner...?

"Can I— _Nggh!—_ get some help over here?" Tony was struggling to roll a tyre down to the lake. As promised, the Black Ravens had left Arianna's purchase outside of the manor. Accompanying the delivery were some more fruits from Marylin, a strawberry cheesecake wrapped in tinfoil, a bag of toffees and a crudely made calling card, which said, _'The Black Raven hopes to barter again with the Barde family.'_

Arianna was speechless. Loosha, however, cried out in delight when she received her new toy. She tossed the tyre about like a rubber ring, encouraging the children to play catch with her. Since they were already wet, the three of them ended up riding on her back. (Keats slunk away before he too could get soaked.)

The fun was over too soon when Luke remembered he had to meet the professor and Emmy. Arianna offered to join him, but Luke reminded her that she and Tony had to wait for Beth at the house. As much as Luke appreciated their company, he would prefer to greet the professor by himself. He changed into his spare clothes, promised he would send Toppy with a note if there were any new developments, and departed from Barde Manor.

On his journey through town, he spread the word that the specter's next target would be Great Ely Street.

He stopped by the market to thank the Black Ravens for their gifts, but only a few of the kids were around. Roddy was in the middle of his meagre lunch, Badger fled before Luke could say hi, and Scraps was... well, Scraps.

The boy spat on a chessboard he'd salvaged from a dustbin, wiping it with his sleeve. "The last thing we need is to be giving charity to a bunch of rich kids!"

Rather than tripping over himself with apologies, Luke listened patiently until Scraps had finished ranting. Then he agreed, "Oh, no one likes charity! We know this is just Black Raven procedure. You lot always provide the best treasures around."

"Yeah... yeah, we do." Scraps gave him a smug half-smile. "You ever need something, just let us know." That went better than expected.

He bumped into Charlie on Grand Bridge Street. Being the gossip that he was, Charlie would surely pass on the news about the specter and the fact that Arianna wasn't really a witch.

Before Luke could step outside of town, someone called, "Where are you going?" It was one of Misthallery's identical police officers. (Luke was certain his name was Chippe.) Chippe hummed at him. "You're Mayor Triton's son, aren't you—?"

"Good morning, my fellow Misthallerians'!"

As fate would have it, Aldus strolled past them, interrupting the officer. Luke saw his escape route and tagged along beside the bouffant-haired man. "Er, hello! Where are you headed?"

"In the same direction as you, I assume," Aldus rejoined as they crossed the bridge. "What brings you to the edge of town?"

"I'm waiting for a friend."

"What a coincidence-so am I!" Alsus shielded his eyes from the sun— despite it being incredibly cloudy— scanning the road ahead. After some minutes, he kneeled to inspect a crate next to the bridge. He asked if Luke would like a piece of advice. Luke already knew where this was going, but he obliged to pass the time and Aldus gave him a lecture on hint coins.

"...Though you may have little need, use them wisely! And now, I must bid you adieu."

"Hang on!" Luke stalled. "What about waiting for your friend?"

"I have passed my knowledge on to you, haven't I? I suppose we may be considered friends. Our time together has reached its end for now, but I'm sure we will meet again!" He ambled away.

Luke scratched the back of his head. At least he was cheerier than Stachenscarfen…

The classic purr of the of the Laytonmobile made his heart quicken. Luke beamed as the professor pulled up beside the bridge and exited the car with Emmy.

Ripping a scrap from his journal, Luke wrote a quick note _('I'm with the professor!')_ and gave it to Toppy to take to Barde Manor.

"...Maybe that boy can give us directions," he heard Emmy say as they approached the bridge.

"Could it be...? Luke Triton—?"

Luke couldn't help himself; he caught his mentor in a hug. _"Professor!_ It's so good to see you!"

There was an awkward cough. "It's... good to see you too, Luke. How long has it been?"

For Luke, it had been about a month. For the professor, it had been eight or nine years.

Luke pulled away, blushing but still beaming. "Sorry, it's just... I remember you coming to visit me when I was younger..."

"The professor doesn't have the best memory," Emmy muttered.

"Hm? Oh, Luke, this is my assistant—"

"Emmy Altava!" she announced. "We received your father's letter. What's this about a giant plaguing your town?"

"Actually," Luke clarified, "I wrote that letter in my dad's name."

"That would explain the typed correspondence," Layton hummed. "I assume you had a valid reason for doing so, Luke?"

Luke winced at his stern tone. "I'm sorry for deceiving you. But we really do need your help! Dad's been acting strange and there's a giant specter attacking Misthallery at night."

"A specter?" Emmy said quizzically, glancing at the town as if she expected the monster to pop up. "Has anyone managed to get a photo of it?"

"No, but I can show you the site of its latest attack..."

Ignoring Chippe's inquisitive looks, Luke led them to Brock's ruined house. Emmy whipped out her camera while the professor questioned Brock about the mark on his door. Brock laughed that it was the witch's mark.

"It's _not_ a witch's mark!" Luke chided him.

Emmy said, "Specters _and_ witches… What next?"

"Whatever it was," said Layton, "it must be powerful to destroy an entire house. I believe it would be best if we consult Clark on the matter. Luke, can you guide us to your house?"

Luke did so dubiously. What would Descole think when he turned up on their doorstep with the professor? He considered blowing Descole's cover there and then. Obviously, Emmy could hold him down while they broke Mum and Doland out of the cellar. But that still left the issue of the specter robots, which Descole could summon in an instant to destroy the house...

The professor must have perceived Luke's pensiveness, because he put a hand on his shoulder before they entered his house. "There's no need to worry. Your reasons for writing to me are justifiable, and I will explain the situation to your father. Though, if you would rather wait out here, perhaps Emmy could stay with you?"

"Sure, I don't mind babysitting," Emmy quipped.

"I am _not_ a baby!"

"If you two can refrain from bickering, why don't you investigate any other areas affected by the specter?"

"Okay, Professor," Emmy and Luke answered together.

Luke added, "Can you meet us in North Ely when you've finished talking to Dad? It's to the north of the crossroads. If you get lost, just ask one of the townspeople for directions."

The professor nodded and went to knock on the Tritons' front door. When Desco-land had let him in without any hassle, Luke took Emmy to the newly-repaired houses along the canal.

As they walked side by side, Emmy glanced down at him. "How old are you, anyway? Seven? Eight?"

"I'm _ten!"_ He smirked at her. "What about you? You must be twenty-two... or something..."

 _"Excuse me!"_ Emmy let out a snort of surprise. "A lady should never reveal her age!"

Luke snickered. He hadn't spoken to her for a year since she'd left, and yet they so naturally assumed the roles of super assistant and number one apprentice.

It wasn't all an act from her... was it?

Even now, he found it difficult to believe that she had been trained by Targent— by _Bronev._

Had she been ordered to report the professor's findings from this early on? Professor Layton wasn't even considered a celebrity yet...

This gave Luke some hope. Emmy wouldn't dream of betraying them until the Azran Legacy was uncovered. If Luke could appeal to her, with the professor's help, she wouldn't have to betray them at all.

But that conversation could wait. As far as he knew right now, Emmy was the professor's assistant and she was here to help fight the specter.

Luke smiled as she started snapping photos of the houses. "That's a nice camera. Where did you get it?"

"It was a present..." She returned the camera to its pouch on her belt.

"From who?"

"From my father."

He'd honestly been expecting her to say her 'uncle'. "Your father?"

"Yep." She looked at him. "My turn to ask a question: What's going on between you and _your_ father?"

Luke met her gaze. "It's like... like Dad's been consumed by the specter. I think he's being manipulated, somehow..."

Frowning, she folded her arms. "Well, I'm sure the professor will bring him back to his senses."

She had almost said the same thing about Bronev. If she was so positive the professor could change him, why hadn't she asked the professor for help? What could Luke do to make her reveal the truth—?

She touched his arm, jarring him from his thoughts. Luke flinched. "S-sorry…" he mumbled.

"It's alright," she reassured him gently. "We should meet the professor at... Where was it again?"

"North Ely!" Luke said, leading the way.

Emmy was astonished when they encountered Toppy, and even more so when he started squeaking to Luke. (Arianna had wished them luck investigating the specter and promised she and Tony would try to keep Loosha calm tonight.)

Luke turned to Emmy. "We should book a room on the second floor of the hotel on Great Ely. That way, we'll be able to see the specter when he attacks this street tonight."

Emmy gave him a sideways glance, smirking. "Did you little friend tell you that?"

"Sort of… I'll tell you more about Toppy when the professor gets here."

The professor arrived not long after they had booked the hotel room. "That's very insightful thinking," he commended when Luke explained their plan to spot the specter.

Emmy asked if they could talk about it more over dinner. Luke would have preferred to go to their hotel room, but he supposed Paddy's Place was secluded enough.

When they were sat down for dinner and Paddy had returned to the kitchen, the professor informed them that he had spoken to Clark. "You were right, Luke. There seems to be something... off about your father. He told me your relationship has become strained as of late."

"Not just lately..." Luke took a long sip of water. He and his father had reconnected in the three years after they left Misthallery. Then, he decided to uproot their lives and move to America. "It's been like this since my mum disappeared."

 _"Disappeared?!_ Your father said she was dealing with family matters-"

"He's lying; Mum would never leave without telling me."

"You said he was being manipulated," Emmy put in.

"Clark certainly exhibited signs of duress." The professor frowned. "Luke, do you know of anyone who might threaten him?"

Once again, Luke was tempted to tell him about Descole. But once again, he remembered the threat Descole posed at present. The sooner they dealt with the specter robots, the sooner they could deal with their maker.

"He's scared... of the specter."

"You're quite certain of that?"

"I wouldn't doubt Luke's knowledge of the specter," Emmy said pointedly.

"Yes, Clark did mention your prophecies."

"I had a bit of help." Luke placed Toppy on the table and explained how they were able to follow the specter's movements. He let the professor read the records in his journal before suggesting they should return to the hotel.

Luke knew the world wouldn't end that night, but he still stood like a sentry at the window, watching as the fog rolled in. He shook his head when Emmy wondered if the specter would even show up. (The 'specter' was fairly mundane compared to the other oddities they had witnessed on their adventures.)

Much to his dismay, he heard the melody of Arianna's flute. Loosha was out after all. And here came the specter…

"What _is_ that thing?!"

"Can this be…"

"That's the specter!" Luke confirmed. He shouted a warning before the windows were smashed. "Get back!"

Once the specter had stomped away and his friends had gathered their wits, Luke gasped, "Did you see it? It looked like some kind of machine!"

Emmy grumbled, "I can't see anythingthrough the fog— and _where_ is that music coming from?"

"That must be my friend, Arianna. She told me she plays her flute whenever the specter attacks."

"Does the sound of her flute subdue the specter?" the professor pondered.

 _"Part of it,"_ Luke admitted. The professor and Emmy were puzzled. "I… can't explain everything unless Arianna's okay with it. We could visit her tomorrow and ask…"

"Very well," the professor agreed. "In the meantime, why don't we investigate the damage done to the street?" As they hurried outside, the professor observed, "You must have a keen eyesight, Luke. How did you determine the specter is in fact a machine?"

"Oh… Um, originally, I was terrified it was the specter from Misthallery's oldest legend. But then, I noticed the pattern to the water level records in my journal. Why would a legendary specter depend on that?"

"A very good question," the professor said, holding his chin in his hand. "If it was travelling through the canals, it wouldn't leave any footprints. Look— this must be the path the specter took; it's soaking wet..."

The professor could work out the rest. Luke sighed with relief. He was off the hook for now.

He would have gone straight to sleep when they got back to the hotel, were it not for Emmy's whispering:

"Professor… Do you think Luke knows more than he's telling us?"

"Perhaps, but I don't believe this is the right time to discuss this…" There was a pause. Luke stayed very still, breathing steadily.

"Relax, he's asleep," Emmy continued quietly. "Why would he withhold information from us?"

"That concerns me as well," the professor sighed. "I fear it is for the same reason as Clark… At least Luke is willing to help us, albeit warily. The sooner we get to the bottom of everything, the sooner his mind will be at ease. Now, we really should rest—"

"Do you think this hotel does breakfast in bed?"

 _"Goodnight,_ Emmy."

If Joseph did supply breakfast, Emmy might have been more motivated to get up in the morning. By the time she rolled out of bed, Toppy had already returned with confirmation from Arianna; Luke was allowed to bring the professor and Emmy to Barde Manor.

Luke felt bad that the professor and Emmy wouldn't meet the Black Ravens yet. Was he changing too many events from their original timeline? Did he know too much for his own good…?

Not even bumping into Keats at the pier could lift his concerns.

 _"Mrrrowrr!"_

"Hi, Keats," Luke replied.

"Is this another companion of yours?" The professor smiled.

"Yes…"

Toppy popped out of Luke's pocket and descended to talk to Keats. The cat wanted them all to follow him. Toppy said Arianna and Tony were waiting for them. Keats insisted there was _someone else_ very important and very beautiful waiting for Luke…

"What are they saying?" Emmy wondered when Toppy let out an indignant squeak.

"They're having an argument—"

Keats hissed and pounced on Toppy. Toppy squealed as the cat picked him up in his mouth and made a run for it. "What's gotten into you?" Luke cried, racing after them. "Keats, put Toppy DOWN!"

"Luke! Stop!"

The cat carried the mouse over the forest path and past the fish lab, until they came to a strange house with a purple roof. Luke caught up with them. Keats carefully set Toppy down, safe and sound, and meowed at the house.

"I don't care how important it is, you didn't have the _kidnap_ Toppy," Luke puffed. He returned Toppy to his pocket and poked his head inside the house. (Its design somehow seemed familiar…)

"So we meet again, sonny boy!"

"Y- _you?"_ Luke gaped at Granny Riddleton. "N-no, I might've seen you around town, but I don't think we've met properly—"

"Give it up, Oracle!" She gave him an eerie grin. "I know another clairvoyant when I sense one, though you're nowhere near as beautiful as me." Keats slunk past Luke and sat next to his mistress. Granny Riddleton awarded him a fish. "Well done, Keats! I now promote you to Puzzle Keeper. You'll have to look after this one's puzzles since I'm off on my holibobs—"

"Hang on," Luke gasped. "Are you going to St. Mystere?"

"Now there's a name I haven't heard in a while." She pointed a gnarled finger at Luke. "Let me guess... You want to get in touch with the Golden Apple?"

Luke smiled, nodding. "Yes please. I'd rather not leave her waiting for three years."

"I'll talk to old Bruno about it. It's about time I paid them a visit, anyway— oh, your friends are looking for you."

As if on cue, Emmy and Layton called for Luke from somewhere outside. Granny Riddleton shoved him out of the door. "Off you go! Just remember, the future has a funny way of changing…"

"What do you mean?" Luke turned in the doorway, but she had disappeared. Only Keats was left inside the house, munching on his fish.

"Luke, there you are!" Emmy exclaimed. She looked through the doorway, scowling when she noticed Keats. "Did you save Toppy?"

Luke patted his pocket. "He's just a bit frightened."

"It must have been quite a shock for you as well," the professor consoled. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine now, honestly, Professor." Luke smiled at him. "Come on, we need to get to Barde Manor." They might take a different route, but he was certain it would lead to a better destination.

Arianna and Tony were evidently more welcoming towards them when they didn't break into their home. With Beth's aid, Barde Manor had regained some of its former splendor. Emmy didn't even complain about the odd spider web.

Still, Arianna's greeting was quite stiff. "Mr. Layton."

The professor tipped his hat. "Arianna, Tony… Luke has informed us that you possess a flute linked to the specter. We heard it during the specter's attack on North Ely last night. Please may we see this flute?"

Arianna looked at Tony. Tony looked at Luke. Luke dipped his head.

Arianna assented, "You may."

Tony ran upstairs and returned five minutes later with the flute. However, he didn't hand it over to Layton immediately. He began dubiously, "Luke said you could help us find the Golden Garden…"

"The Golden Garden?" Emmy said. "Why would you be interested in that?"

"Now, Emmy, there is no harm in sharing the news," the professor said. "According to the London Times, the Golden Garden might be here in Misthallery. These theories arose six months ago when some ancient remains were discovered at the local dig site. Were you aware of this?"

Tony shook his head, blinking owlishly. "My sister… I mean, _we_ don't often travel around town—"

"The doctors believe I'm terminally ill," Arianna supplied.

"I see…" The professor bowed his head. "I'm sorry—"

 _"That's_ why we need to find the Golden Garden," Tony stressed. (Emmy covered her mouth.) "So it can heal Arianna. Can you help us or not?"

"Yes _, we_ can," Luke confirmed, nodding to the professor and Emmy.

"We'll start by exploring the dig site," the professor furthered. "But may I ask, what leads you to believe the garden contains healing properties?"

Arianna took the flute from Tony. "Follow us."

It wasn't often that Emmy or the professor were left speechless. They stared as Arianna summoned Loosha from the lake.

"Well…" the professor uttered. "That explains the purpose of the flute, and part of the specter's shape."

"Loosha told us about the Golden Garden," Luke said. "Professor, do you think she could have been born in the garden?"

The professor clutched his hat as Loosha tried to nudge it off his head. Luke scolded her playfully, whispering that the professor's hat was special.

The professor hummed. "I don't recognize her species, so it is possible…"

"I think she's the last of an ancient race," Arianna said.

"She definitely looks like a dinosaur," Emmy mused. After a glare from Tony, she amended, "The _cutest_ dino that ever lived! Can I get a photo of her—?"

"No," Arianna interrupted. "You'd better not."

Luke sent Arianna a reproving look. He clarified to Emmy, "If other people find out about Loosha, especially with her ties to the specter, they might try to capture her."

Arianna nodded contritely. "That's what I meant… Please forgive my short tone. I'm just apprehensive after what happened to our father. Could you explain to them, Luke—?"

"Loosha's been our only friend since our father died last year," Tony filled in. "We didn't think the townspeople would help us. Nobody _cared_ …"

"Some of us did, _"_ Luke amended, "but Chief Jakes barely released information on Mr. Barde's 'suicide'." Tony winced.

"Sounds like you have a bone to pick with this Jakes," Emmy said, rolling up her sleeves. "Why don't you let me talk to him?"

"That won't be necessary, Emmy," Layton intervened. "We can visit the police station and _politely_ request to access their reports."

"You could probably make it to _Scotland Yard_ quicker than you'll see Jakes," Luke snorted.

"That's it!" Emmy declared. "I'll ride back to London, drop by Scotland Yard and search their archives. I'm sure they'll have a copy of the report!" Luke cheered with her. (The less they had to involve Jakes, the better.)

The professor agreed, "If you insist, Emmy… Please could you also stop by the university to pick up my notes and the papers beside my desk dating back six months ago? They may contain some more information on the Golden Garden. While you're gone, Luke and I will continue our investigation."

"You can meet us at the library later," Luke suggested.

He promised the Bardes they would be back soon. After waving Emmy off with the professor, the two of them started towards the dig site.

However, the professor paused at the abandoned outskirts of the site, clasping a hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Luke," he intoned, "answer me honestly. What do you know about my hat?"

* * *

 **[[** Dear descoleXlayton (guest): Thank you for reviewing! (And all the other users/guests). I promise Descole won't be 100% evil in this story, and Luke knows that too :) Luke just perceives him as a threat at this moment in time, as he was during the fourth game. **]]**


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

So, this was how it felt to be caught out by Professor Layton. Luke's throat went drier than desert of Monte d'Or. He swallowed and opened his mouth, but only a startled breath emerged. Did he resemble Clive in that moment the professor revealed his deceit?

Like Clive, Luke had a forged a letter to the professor with higher knowledge. He had also kept quiet about the spectre, but he had never outright _lied_ to the professor's face before. At worst, he had once understated the amount of food he ordered when the two of them visited a restaurant. Even then, the professor had figured out Luke's mistake and easily forgiven him.

But this… this was much more than a mistake. Luke had hidden crucial details from the professor, and touched upon others he shouldn't have known about– that he had _no right_ to know about. Namely, the professor's hat.

Luke's mind raced to think of an excuse as he and the professor moved to the back of the excavation site. He insisted on entering one of the tunnels the diggers had deserted. The professor only appeared more troubled, folding his arms as he waited for Luke's explanation.

When Luke said nothing, the professor asked, "Did your father ever tell you how I received this hat?" (Luke shook his head listlessly.) "I didn't think so, for it was given to me after your family left London. I met your parents on a few occasions afterwards, but it was hardly the appropriate time to discuss a hat."

"The funeral?" Luke whispered. He had hazy memories of dozing through the service while his parents mourned for their old university friend.

Solemnly, Layton nodded. "You said you remembered me coming to visit you. Do you remember the lady who often accompanied me?"

"Claire," Luke answered. "She was the one who gave you your hat."

"Was it Emmy who informed you of that?" he tried, clutching the rim of his hat. "She had done a lot of research about me prior to our meeting… Or did you find out the answers for yourself?"

He was probably concerned about how much Luke knew, after he was knocked into a coma for investigating Claire's death. The poor professor; he had hidden all of that pain for years and years. Luke couldn't keep his secret for more than two days.

At least, if Luke told him the truth, the professor could start to move on.

"I heard about it… from you. In the future, that is."

The professor blinked. "I'm afraid I don't understand..."

"I know the future," Luke blurted out. "After we stop the spectre, I become your apprentice and we go on more adventures. It's like… I've already _lived_ through the three years we spent together… or we _will_ spend. It's so confusing!"

"Is this about you being the oracle? Luke, forgive me for doubting — "

"I get it. It sounds _impossible_ , but I can prove it!"

The professor had never truly believed they were in Future London, despite all of the 'proof' Clive had provided. But this was different. Luke wasn't lying to the professor.

Taking his bemused mentor by the arm, Luke dragged him to the entrance of the excavation site. Luke predicted, "We're going to meet a blonde boy from the market called Gus. He'll ask us how he should cut a cake so he can share it with his friends."

Sure enough, they bumped into Gus and Luke solved the puzzle of his cake. The professor still seemed doubtful.

When they were away from Gus, he said in a low voice, "That was quite impressive puzzle-solving… But I must ask, if you can foresee the future, why didn't you warn anyone about the spectre before it targeted the town? Why did you have to wait for me?"

Luke was about to say, ' _We were meant to meet,'_ but that sounded too sappy. "I needed to seek help from outside of Misthallery. I was scared to unveil the spectre without having the proper evidence or protection behind me."

The professor breathed, "You've discovered who is responsible for the spectre?"

Luke debated telling him about his relation to Descole, but the professor already had enough to take in right now. He simply nodded and said, "Emmy will return from Scotland Yard with the police report about how Mr. Barde died. It says there was only one eyewitness present – my dad— and Mr. Barde apparently left him the rights to his land in his will."

The professor's eyes widened. "Clark neglected to mention this… I assume he never told you either?"

"It's not his fault," Luke insisted. "Chief Jakes changed the will!"

"That's a strong accusation to make," the professor murmured. Luke bit his lip as they passed through the Grand Plaza – Jakes's house wasn't far away.

The professor asked, "So, do you believe he is behind everything?"

"No, but he is working for the specter. They're after the Golden Garden." Luke paused, glancing back at the dam on the hill. "I know where it is."

"That's incredible," the professor exclaimed. "An ancient paradise said to predate our civilization, right here in Misthallery…"

"A remnant of the Azran civilization," Luke added. The professor appeared impressed. Luke explained, "I know a lot about the past as well – things you told us..." And things they would find out.

"Stansbury...?" Layton gasped. Luke nodded. The professor glanced down at his hands.

"I'm sorry," Luke whispered.

"No... it's alright. Thank you for being honest with me about all of this. It must have been a heavy burden for you to bear."

Luke sighed. "I'm so glad I was able to tell you."

"Perhaps you can tell me more when Misthallery is safe." His voice lowered even more as they entered the library. "How do you wish to proceed from here?"

Luke thought for a moment. "We'll need to wait for Emmy with that report... Inspector Grosky will be with her. He can arrest Jakes…"

But how would they stop Descole — more specifically, the specter robots? Loosha would feel compelled to fight them all, but she wouldn't survive the battle. How could they capture Descole, assured that his robots wouldn't swarm the town? He wouldn't stop until he had the Golden Garden...

So, why couldn't they just _give_ it to him?

Luke grinned at the professor. "I've got it."

If Layton had any qualms left about Luke's 'clairvoyance', they were likely dashed when Emmy and Grosky arrived.

"Inspector Grosky… what a surprise."

Luke halted Grosky before he could run off. Emmy showed them the police report. Everything was just as Luke had foretold, but Layton didn't comment on that in Emmy and Grosky's presence. However, he revealed that he believed Jakes had altered Mr. Barde's will.

"Oh, _really?_ " Grosky grunted. "I'm going to have a word with that so-called chief—"

Again, Luke stopped him. "Wait. We need your help to evacuate the town. If you have any trouble, say the oracle sent you."

"The _entire_ town?" Emmy gasped as Grosky bolted out of the library. "Why? Is it the specter?"

"Not exactly," the professor said, studying the photo Emmy had gotten developed in London. "Though, I would like to get a proper look at the specter before we pay Clark a visit." He smiled at Luke. "You were quite adamant that the specter's true form was a machine. Do you have any idea where a large machine could be hidden?"

"There's the old factory…"

Luke sent Toppy off with an SOS messages to the Bardes and to the Black Ravens. They ran into Sebastian, a former factory worker, while he was fleeing with the other residents from the eastern side of town. He tossed Layton his key and warned, "You'd better get out of that factory before the specter wrecks it. Good riddance!"

On Sebastian's instructions, they breached the rear entrance of the factory. Luke recognized one of Jakes's thugs patrolling the first ridge. He whispered to Emmy, "That guy bullied me once…" and in an instant, she had beaten the thug with a roundhouse kick.

"Another bully?" Emmy growled when they saw the chief engineer in the fourth ridge.

Layton intervened, "One moment, Emmy. Let's hear what he has to say." While Layton listened to the engineer's woes and solved his puzzle, Luke ploughed on ahead with Emmy to the fifth ridge.

Thanks to Luke's 'quick-thinking', they covered the gap in the floor with the metal sheet hanging over it. "There's no puzzle you can't solve with a clear mind," Luke said.

"Quite right," Layton agreed as he joined them in front of the red doors.

The doors slid open. Luke was the first to enter, but he froze as something small and black glided past him.

"It's just a cat," Layton said, moving past Luke to observe the excavating machine before them. "And _that_ is the infamous specter."

"So, what now?" Emmy wondered. "We need to show this thing to the town!"

"Not yet," Luke said, recovering from his shock. "First, we're going to reveal the Golden Garden."

Desco-land was perturbed when they turned up at Triton Manor. "Master Luke, what is going on? I heard the town is being evacuated— but the specter isn't due to strike, is it?"

Layton answered for Luke, "No, but it is important that everyone gets to safety. Please may we come in to discuss this with Clark?"

Much to Luke's relief, his dad hadn't suffered any more injuries from Descole. Clark's eyes widened as Layton announced they had located the Golden Garden. "Th-this is…"

"Marvelous," Desco-land stated. "We knew we could count on you, Mr. Layton! Where is the garden?"

"There lies the issue. I believe it is hidden beneath the dam overlooking town. To access the garden, we would need to open the primary flood gates..."

"Flooding the entire town," Clark finished, frowning.

"Sir," Desco-land said, his voice wavering, "there may be a risk, but imagine what the garden could mean for Misthallery."

Clark glanced from him to Hershel. He sighed before smiling wearily. "You're right, Doland. We should be celebrating Hershel's discovery! Hershel, would you grab one of our best wines from the cellar–"

"No time for celebrations yet, Dad!" Luke all but pushed him out of his study. "We need to uncover the Golden Garden."

"I'll enlist some help to open the floodgates," Desco-land said.

Toppy returned to Luke as they trekked up to the dam. He squeaked that everyone knew what they were doing. Luke crossed his fingers.

Desco-land brought the chief engineer to open the floodgates.

The engineer grunted, "You folks might want to stand back..."

Luke winced as the water burst through the gates. (He hoped Arianna and the others would be alright.) The town would be no worse off than if Loosha had broken down the dam.

At least they would be able to repair Misthallery with her help this time.

Clark gasped at the golden crest in the center of the drained dam. "Could that be–?"

"The gateway to the Golden Garden," Desco-land exclaimed. "It must be!" He surged down the slope to investigate the crest. "A puzzle must be solved to proceed. Please, allow me!"

"Quite eager for an old butler, isn't he?" Emmy muttered.

 _At least he's quick at solving puzzles,_ Luke thought as he got the entrance open.

Desco-land tore through the uncovered passage, shouting as he reached the Golden Garden, "It's really here–!"

He was tackled on the bank by Emmy. He yelped as she wrestled him to the ground. "W-what is the meaning of this?"

The professor knelt down to scowl at him. "I hope you are satisfied after all the desolation you've caused to find this place. Spreading lies about the specter, ravaging the town with your excavating machine, terrorizing the Triton family..."

A smirk transformed Desco-land's face. "Bravo, Layton. You figured it out sooner than I'd anticipated, and you led me straight to the garden! But please, don't let me keep you. I'm sure my minions will _question_ Mrs. Triton if I don't return in due time..."

"It's true, Hershel," Clark burst out. "He has Brenda—"

"She and the real Doland have been freed," Luke assured him. Thanks to the Black Ravens, the two of them would be waiting safely at the bazaar.

"What a shame," Descole sighed. "Then you leave me with no choice but to destroy your quaint little town."

Luke and the others tensed, dreading the noises of terror and destruction.

Descole fidgeted. "Any minute now…" Another minute passed. Suddenly, they heard a creature dragging itself through the passage. "Aha—! _What? You?!"_ It was not Descole's mechanical cavalry, but his greatest foil.

Luke grinned at Loosha; she didn't have any fresh wounds, and she appeared to be full of energy. He waved to Arianna and Tony, riding on her back. "How's the town?"

"No sign of the spectre!" Tony called.

Arianna added, "Your mother and butler are safe!"

Clark gasped with relief. Descole growled.

"It seems your excavating machine can't be controlled from down here," the professor deduced. Just as Luke had hoped, weapons were forbidden in the Golden Garden like in some of the other Azran ruins.

"What a _shame_ ," Emmy chimed. "Looks like you're all out of options!" She tried to knock Descole out with a blow to the head.

He rolled his head to the side, glaring right at Layton. "You're making a big mistake. Others will come for the garden— men far less merciful than me." He must have been desperate, because he spat, _"Targent!_ Surely you've heard of them, Layton?"

The professor hummed. Emmy hesitated, ever so slightly. It was enough for Descole to break free of her hold. Of course, he tried to grab a hostage.

Luke dived out of his way. The only one Descole caught was Toppy, who bit his hand. Seething, Descole glanced at the tunnel, but it was blocked by Loosha. His only escape route was to run through the jungle surrounding the lake.

"He's still got Toppy!" Luke cried.

"We'll catch him," Emmy promised. "Don't you worry."

Between the four of them, they managed to herd Descole to the top of one of the waterfalls feeding into the garden. Realising he was surrounded, Descole held the squirming Toppy over the waterfall's edge.

Luke growled, "Let him _go!"_

With a grin, Descole did exactly that.

"NO!" Luke dived to catch Toppy.

 _"Luke!"_

Strong arms encircled his waist, but not strong enough to keep them from falling over the edge. His head was nestled tightly against the professor's chest. Even that couldn't shield Luke from the roar of the waterfall or the walloping splash as they landed in the lake below.

Coughing enough to lose a lung, Luke sat up and opened his hands. Toppy was trembling all over, his tiny heart hammering—but it was proof that he was _alive_.

Luke let out a shivery sigh. They were soaked, despite the water being so shallow…

 _Too shallow._

"P-Professor…?"

The professor hadn't moved yet. He was still lying in the water next to Luke… on rocks. His eyes were open, but vacant. His hat was missing and the area beneath his head was… was turning _red…_

"Professor! _Professor!_ _PROFESSOR!"_

His father rushed down to haul him from the water, kicking and screaming. Emmy flew past them and crouched over the professor's body.

After five minutes filled only by Luke's sobs, Emmy stood up. She faced Luke and Clark with damp eyes. Emmy never cried. Why was she crying? _Why?_ _Why had this happened?_

"He's gone," she whispered.

* * *

 **[[**...Sorry. I did consider putting a more obvious gore warning at the beginning, but I thought it would give away the chapter's ending. **]]**


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Luke was still blushing as they drove away from Misthallery. This wasn't helped at all by his friends making kissy-faces or whistling as they waved him off. He could only imagine how Arianna felt…

"Don't worry, Luke," his father said, winking at him in the rear-view mirror. "You'll see Arianna again soon."

"Erm, hopefully…" Luke's hands fumbled in his lap. (Arianna hadn't taken his hand – she had kissed him on the cheek!)

"Keep your eyes on the road, Clark," Brenda chided. She smiled back at Luke and changed the subject. "It won't be long before we can visit Professor Layton."

Sitting up straight, Luke added excitedly, "And I can start learning as his apprentice!"

Doland chuckled beside him. "Shouldn't we settle into the new house first?"

"Oh, right! You promised I could have biggest bedroom, didn't you, Mum?"

"Now hold on, Luke," Clark interposed, "we might need the extra space for the study — "

"But I'll be sharing with Toppy," Luke said. There was a squeak of agreement from Luke's pocket.

"Toppy doesn't have three bookshelves," Clark muttered.

"We'll work everything out when we get there," Brenda concluded.

Luke hummed. "I guess it won't matter if I stay with the professor… Can we ring him as soon as the phone is set up?"

Clark shook his head hopelessly. Brenda laughed. "Slow down, Luke…"

But Luke could barely stay still. He swung his legs against his seat, riffled through his journal and chatted about all of the puzzles he was going to solve with the professor and Emmy. When London appeared on the horizon, he leapt up to gaze out of the window. Soon, he would begin his adventures as Professor Layton's apprentice…

That afternoon was clear and bright in Luke's memory. But now, it was dark when Luke stirred from a restless sleep. "Mm…?"

"It's okay, sweetheart," his mum murmured, lifting him out of the car. "We're here."

Luke didn't know or care if it was the same house they'd bought before. Nothing would ever be the same as 'before'. There was no correct timeline – no _future_ – without the professor.

After his father had confirmed the house was secure, Luke was carried upstairs and tucked into bed. He barely left his room for the next month.

Every morning, Doland would open his curtains and apologise for disturbing him — though, the natural light might do Master Luke some good. Luke often claimed to have lost his appetite, but Doland would always bring an extremely large meal "for Master Toppy". Whenever he cleaned Toppy's bed and the rest of Luke's room, he would ramble about _The London Times_ , their nosy new neighbours, the local sports teams… However, he rarely mentioned Misthallery, and for that Luke was grateful.

What little Luke heard about his hometown came from his father. Descole had disappeared from Misthallery, perhaps out of guilt for his brother's death. Emmy was now hunting for him with Inspector Grosky, who had already arrested Jakes. Meanwhile, Misthallery was being restored "to its former glory" with the aid of the Black Ravens and Loosha. She, Arianna and Tony had been happily received by the townspeople and they frequently visited the Golden Garden.

Luke mumbled, "I knew she would."

Clark ruffled his hair and resumed reading Mayor Greppe's letter. "Indeed, they've really taken a liking to Loosha. Greppe wants to have a statue built in her honour, as well as…"

Clark paused, shook his head and folded the letter into his shirt pocket. "That's enough of Greppe's prattling for now. Would you like me to read this to you?" He held up 'The Wind in the Willows', one of the books Luke was supposed to (re)read for school.

His father put a lot of effort into narrating the story, giving each animal character a distinct voice. He only faltered at the very end:

 _"'Sometimes, in the course of long summer evenings, the friends would take a…_ a stroll together…'"

Luke had almost drifted off into the Wild Wood, when Clark sighed and closed the book. "Dad?" he yawned. "What's –?"

"I miss him too, you know," Clark confided. "We hadn't spoken properly for seven years… "

Luke closed his eyes. He knew where this was going. His parents cared about him, but they couldn't comprehend why he was _this_ distraught over the professor, who he apparently hadn't seen since he was three.

"I learnt a lot from him, just like you. It's no wonder you two became fast friends."

Luke opened his eyes, but his vision was blurred by tears. Tentatively, his father wiped the tears away. "You don't need to… suffer on your own, Luke. Your mother and I are both here – we can make it through this together. Please..." _Please don't shut me out again._

"I'll try," Luke promised.

That evening, Luke dragged himself out of bed to join his family for dinner. He managed to finish every bite on his plate, much to Doland's delight.

Taking this as a reassuring sign, Brenda revealed, "Luke... We received a call from Mr. and Mrs. Layton. It's about next week..."

"I'm going," Luke confirmed.

"Are you sure?" Brenda said softly. "I can stay here with you if you'd rather. No one will mind..."

 _One must always show gratitude to one's teachers._

Luke reiterated, "I _have_ to go."

"If that's what Luke wants, we shouldn't stand in his way," Clark settled. "We can always come home earlier if need be."

With the issue resolved, Luke returned to bed.

Out of habit, Luke lay awake trying to decipher what-could-have-been, what- _should_ -have-been, and most likely what-would-never-be. At times, it felt like his friendship with the professor had been nothing but a dream.

On the off-chance that sleep claimed him, he would wake up believing things would be how he remembered. Then reality would sink in. The new reality that _he_ was responsible for creating. All he'd asked was to go back to the days when he was Layton's apprentice. His wish had been granted, and he'd changed life for the worse.

Wasn't there some means – machine, time travel or Azran magic – that could bring the professor back…?

He had nearly dozed off, when Toppy released a startled, _"S-squeak!"_

It was the first peep Luke had heard out of him since the professor's death. Luke wasn't relieved in the slightest.

A pair of yellow eyes gleamed at him from his desk. Cat's eyes.

Luke leapt out of bed and stumbled to Toppy's rescue. The cat's eyes receded through the window Luke didn't recall leaving open.

"You okay?" Luke panted to Toppy.

"S-s-squee," his friend confirmed quietly.

Luke switched on his desk lamp and stuck his head out of the window, surveying their back garden. The cat had vanished. (It definitely hadn't been Keats this time…) He shut the window tight just to be safe.

"Squee- squeak?" Toppy pointed out the red envelope left on Luke's desk. His name was on it.

Sceptically, Luke ripped open the envelope and read:

 _'Dear Luke Triton_

 _How are you holding up, sonny boy? I just wanted to send my condolences._

 _I really am sorry I couldn't warn you and your friends back in Misthallery. My powers of clairvoyance have been… obscure lately and I only just found out why._

 _A little kitty told me your troubles started… or_ start _, with the 'Temsik Meteorite'. (I hope I spelt that right.) This meteorite crashed on earth about a decade ago, but its scattered remains won't be dug up for another three years. Your father gets given part of the meteorite, and you break it by mistake, sending you back in time. I've been informed that's one of the many powers of the meteorite. (Don't ask me how magical space rocks work — I'm not_ that _insightful.)_

 _Now, before you rush off to the USA with a shovel, consider this:_ _In the time it takes to find your meteorite fragment — there are_ a lot _of them to pick from – some earthshaking events could be set in motion. I'm talking killer robots (and not the good kind)._

 _You can tell yourself it doesn't matter how many folks get wiped out. Everything's hunky-dory as long as you can reset time. Have fun searching for the meteorite through all that rubble!_

 _...All sarcasm aside, I know how much you miss your friend. Our Golden Apple lost her papa too... But she's not alone, and neither are you._

 _Want me to give you a hint? Let your adventures unfold like before (maybe with a few tweaks here and there). Be the hero. Stop the bad guys. And when you know everything's safe,_ then _you can reset._

 _Remember, the puzzle keepers will always be close at hand._

 _Cheerio,_

 _R xoxo_

 _P.S. – I put in a good word for you, but Bruno doesn't want just_ anyone _associating themselves with the Golden Apple. You'll have to prove yourself somehow... Perhaps you could get Lady Dahlia's attention?'_

Luke sank onto his bed, clutching Granny Riddleton's letter.

"The Temsik Meteorite..." he murmured. _That_ tiny fragment was what had caused all of this? He could beg his parents to let him go to America, but who knew how long it would take him to find it on his own? Long enough for Bronev to unleash the Azran Legacy? Long enough for Clive to level London to the ground?

Granny Riddleton was right, as much as Luke didn't want to admit it. Luke would have to save the world in this timeline before he could return to his own.

Even then, there was no telling if the meteorite would send him back to the right moment. Would he awaken as his ten-year-old-self in Misthallery, or as his thirteen-year-old-self in America, before this madness began?

He had to learn as much as he could about the meteorite. With their combined knowledge of geology and geography, his parents would be a good starting point. Next, there was his father's mentor – Dr. Schrader. And Emmy could always assist him...

Luke rubbed his eyes. There was so much for him to plan out, so much for him to do...

The first step would be the hardest – saying goodbye to Professor Layton. No... It was just 'so long' for now, not goodbye. He would see the professor again.

Telling himself that didn't make the next week any easier. He felt numb when the day finally arrived, so numb that he could barely prepare himself.

His mother combed his hair, folded his shirt collar and fixed his tie. She placed her hand on his cheek, smiling plaintively. (Had there always been crinkles in the corners of her mouth?)

"Ready?" she whispered. Luke gave her a small nod. She squeezed his hand and led him outside. Luke hadn't felt fit to attend the the funeral, but they were meeting his dad for the memorial at Gressenheller.

Professor Layton may not have attained a 'celebrity' status, but so many people had assembled at the university: Students, colleagues, archaeologists, Scotland Yard operatives, all of the citizens he had aided with day-to-day puzzles…

Luke sought Rosa's face in the staff parking lot. There was no sign of her; however, Dean Delmona waved to Luke and Brenda.

It wasn't long before Emmy's scooter swerved into the parking lot, followed by Clark's car and Inspector Grosky (on foot).

"Luke!" Emmy called. "And Mrs. Triton! How are you both?"

"Glad to see you," Brenda said as Luke rushed to hug Emmy. "Was everything… alright earlier?"

"The funeral went as according to plan," Grosky reported. "No interruptions – "

There was a cough from Clark as he approached them with Doland and Dr. Schrader, who must have been offered a lift. The doctor shook Luke's hand and introduced himself.

"I told Mr. and Mrs. Layton we would meet them inside," Clark explained. "Let's not keep them waiting."

Fortunately, the Laytons had saved them seats at the front of the auditorium, one of the older buildings on campus and by far the largest.

Mrs. Layton smiled as Brenda sat beside her, but her greeting was tired and stiff. "Thank you for coming, Brenda... and you, Luke." Luke looked at his feet.

Brenda touched the older woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry we couldn't make it earlier – "

"As am I."

Luke's head shot up. Desmond Sycamore was stood at the end of their row, appearing most apologetic. What was _he_ doing here? Where were Emmy and Grosky _?_ Luke glanced around the auditorium until he spotted Emmy, speaking to Dr. Glaive near the entrance. All he had to do was shout for her. How much chaos would be caused if she roundhouse kicked Sycamore in the face…?

Mrs. Layton was completely unaware of Luke's plotting. In fact, she was the one who had invited Professor Sycamore – an 'old acquaintance' of the Layton family…

"I don't believe we've met… have we?" Clark said, his brow furrowing. "It must be your reputation that precedes you, Professor Sycamore – "

"Attention, everyone!" Dean Delmona's voice silenced the brimming auditorium. Professor Sycamore slipped into the seat next to Clark – _Emmy's_ seat. No one besides Luke was perturbed, for they were focused on the dean standing at the podium at the front of the room.

"Thank you all for coming today," Delmona announced, "to commemorate the life and work of Professor Hershel Layton. As many of you will know, he was… taken from us last month in his efforts to save the town of Misthallery…"

How could Desmond Sycamore _sit there_ , knowing what he had done? But then… he wasn't the only one to blame for the professor's death – not directly.

Luke pushed past his dad, past Sycamore, past Emmy on his way out. He ran from the auditorium, ran and ran through the corridors until he reached a door bearing a picture of a top hat.

Luke's footsteps echoed through the office.

Some stray boxes around the room were packed with books, but the majority of the professor's belongings had been left untouched. Luke's hand trailed across the bookshelf, the cactus-shaped model he'd never asked the professor about, the record covers, the gramophone…

His eyes widened as he heard singing – _Janice's_ voice. No, it wasn't coming from the gramophone, but all the way from the auditorium. She must have been asked to perform. It was a ballad Luke recognised from a singer back in Misthallery. _Naiya_ he thought her name was. Were she and Janice friends?

Moving on to the professor's desk, Luke saw a jigsaw puzzle, complete in the form of a top hat, and a silver letter opener. (Luke stuffed the latter item in the pencil pot.) There was nothing else on the desk that concerned Luke, except for a leather-bound notebook, wedged between two textbooks. Luke carefully removed it, noticing how bare the professor's desk suddenly appeared. It would never hold a photo of Luke, the professor and Emmy, or Flora.

Luke shook his head and opened the notebook; the few pages the professor had preserved were still there, along with the newspapers clippings. Neither Bill Hawks or Targent had touched the professor's research. Emmy wouldn't dare after what had happened.

He tucked the notebook under his arm and turned to the tea set by the sink. A teacup had been left unwashed; the lingering scent of Oasis Leaf and Brisk Berry made Luke's eyes water.

He collapsed onto the orange settee, burying his head in the armrest.

"Luke?"

He shot up with a gasp. Arianna was hovering in the doorway, looking quite out of place with her black dress. It was the same one she had worn to her father's funeral, Luke realized.

"I didn't mean to disturb you," she said quietly. "I was just worried when I couldn't see you…"

 _A true gentleman never neglects the needs of a lady._

He had clean forgotten she was coming with Tony and Beth – _forgotten_ her, after his promise to keep in touch. It was by no means his intention to shut her out, but everything had happened so quickly since the professor's demise…

He sniffed, turning away to wipe his nose in his sleeve. "I-I'm sorry…"

"You don't need to apologise for anything," Arianna assured him.

'But this is all my f- _fault!"_ A whimper slipped out and Arianna was immediately by his side. "If I hadn't messed everything up, the professor would still _be_ here."

"You couldn't have seen this coming. No one could have. The only one to blame is that awful man." She touched his shoulder, but this only made Luke sob:

"Y-you don't understand! It was _my_ idea to reveal the garden – "

"And because of that, we were able to corner the villain," Arianna asserted. ('Corner'— not _capture.)_ "Now, Misthallery is safe, Loosha no longer has to risk her life, and I'm… I'm going to be okay, thanks to the air in the Golden Garden. Thanks to _you—_ and the professor."

Luke really was relieved, but then he knew she would have recovered if everything had turned out the way it was meant to. The only difference was that Loosha had survived. The professor had not.

At the end of the day, Luke had manipulated events to save Loosha and Toppy… who were both animals. The professor had died as a consequence of his meddling.

Luke glanced down at the notebook on the settee. What was it Claire had said?

 _There's no telling what chaos we'd release if we tried to save the dead from their fate…_

Arianna peered at the notebook. "Is that the professor's?"

Luke held the notebook to his chest, nodding. "I… I recognised a name written in here. I want to ask my parents about it."

Surely fate could be changed. The Temsik Meteorite was proof of that.


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

The last thing Luke had expected or needed was to run into Clive Dove on their way back to the auditorium. Why did all of the professor's enemies insist on attending his memorial? (What next, Don Paolo disguised as one of the guests?)

Fortunately, Clive was _not_ wearing his Future Luke facade, but a grey trench coat. Luke still stared. For a moment, Clive mirrored Luke's surprise. He must have been about twenty, if he really was ten years older than Luke... But then, Clive glared. Luke was reminded that everything Clive had ever told him was a lie, and he was one of the main reasons Luke's family moved away from London.

Clive had as much nerve as Sycamore showing up at the memorial. His 'future self' would be ruined if anyone noticed the resemblance between him and Luke.

Arianna was already glancing from Luke to Clive. "Do you know that man?" she whispered.

Luke shook his head and ushered her into the auditorium. Clive continued to stare. Maybe he was just here to mourn for the professor, who was supposed to 'save' Clive from his own madness. The problem was, without Layton, would Clive escalate his plans? Did he have any need for Future London if he couldn't fool the professor? The fake city's only use would be to terrify the kidnapped scientists and to conceal the Mobile Fortress…

"There you are!" He was immediately swept up by Emmy when they stepped into the auditorium. "Are you alright?"

Luke struggled to breathe in her bone-crushing hold. "Yeah – thanks to Arianna. Where're Mum and Dad?"

"They're out searching for you."

"Oh." Luke felt a twinge of guilt for ditching his parents. There was yet another promise he had broken.

Arianna frowned at some of the people having conversations and leaving their seats. "What happened to the memorial service?"

"The Dean suggested taking a break until Clark gets back to give his speech," Emmy explained.

Dr. Schrader was conferring with Dean Delmona next to the podium. Though they hadn't risen from their seats, the Laytons were speaking to a person wearing a wide brimmed black dress hat. Tony was with Beth, admiring some of Professor Layton's work out on display. Sycamore had vanished. However, Luke was more concerned that he still couldn't see Rosa. Hopefully, her absence had nothing to do with the villains in attendance.

While Arianna went to talk to her brother, Luke checked with Emmy, "You spoke to Dean Delmona? Did he mention anything about Rosa, the head cleaner at Gressenheller?"

"I didn't know you knew Rosa…" (Luke must have looked so anxious that she didn't ask _how_.) "She's currently on sick leave with a horrible migraine, but she won't be away for much longer. She doesn't trust me enough to hand things over to Dr. Glaive." Emmy had been trying lighten the mood, but Luke's eyes widened.

"Are you going to become Dr. Glaive's assistant?"

"Not exactly," she admitted quietly.

"Don't tell me you're _leaving!"_ (So soon after the professor…)

"I'm sorry, Luke…"

"Does it have something to do with _Targent?"_ Luke muttered. Emmy's jaw dropped. Luke knew he was breaking open a can of worms, but he continued, "You froze just like that when the masked man mentioned Tar– "

"That's why… That's why I have to go," Emmy ground out. Did she blame herself as much as Luke for what happened? Before Luke could tell her it wasn't her fault, she sighed. "You shouldn't go around asking about Targent."

Luke asked anyway. "Then how do _you_ know about it?"

"It's a... controversial organization – my family has ties to it." She clenched her fists tightly. "But I don't want anything to do with them after the Golden Garden."

Could it be true? Was she so guilty – so _angry_ with Targent that she would discuss them with Luke? Would she abandon Bronev completely?

Emmy wrapped her arms around herself. "I just… have to get away from it all. From archaeology."

"It's not fair..." She was leaving Targent on her own accord, but Luke still had to lose her. He swallowed. "Will I see you again?"

She bent down to hug him, gently this time. "Of course you will. Wherever I go, I'll be keeping an eye out for that masked menace. If there are any problems, I want you to let me know. Okay?"

"O-okay."

She stood up. "I have to sort something out now, so you should wait with the Bardes or the Laytons until your parents get back." Luke nodded and she ran out of the auditorium.

Luke sighed. He looked at the Barde siblings, but they were whispering to each other. Instead, he turned his gaze to Mr. and Mrs. Layton. They had just said goodbye to the woman in the large hat, who was hurrying away, almost as fast as Emmy if she wasn't wearing fancy shoes. Her hat may have obscured her face, but as she passed Luke, he recognized her curly blonde hair and the pearl necklace hanging from her neck.

"A-Angela?"

She froze and turned to face him, her dark eyes wide.

Luke corrected himself. _"Mrs._ Angela Ledore?"

She glanced around as if she hoped no one had heard him, but she graced him with a reply. "Y-yes? Who might you be?"

"My name is Luke Triton." When she simply blinked at him, he went on, "My dad was the mayor of the town Professor Layton saved. The professor was my friend."

"I… I see."

"He mentioned that you were friends with him too, years ago..."

"H-he _did_?" she gasped. "May I ask why?"

Luke doubled-checked Sycamore wasn't nearby before he said, "We were talking about the Golden Garden… and he described investigating, um, a similar archaeology site with his friends when he was younger – "

"Akbadain." Suddenly, Angela's features were shadowed by her hat. "If you'll excuse me, I really must go now. I have a long journey ahead of me."

But Luke was persistent, following her out of the room. His words came in a rush. "The professor thought Akbadain could… could contain an unground river, like how the Golden Garden was hidden – "

This made Angela pause and stare at him again. "A river? Beneath Akbadain?" She was thoughtful for a moment, touching the base of her throat. "You're certain that's what the professor said?"

"He said it was just a... theory."

"His theories were rarely wrong," she murmured. Finally, she smiled at Luke. "Thank you – thank you, Luke. You don't what this might mean. Take care now."

Luke released a breath as she rushed out. No doubt, she was eager to share the professor's 'theory' with Henry. Luke reasoned that he hadn't altered Randall's fate. He had just… sped fate up. Fingers crossed, Randall would be found before Sycamore got to him and they would be spared from the 'curse' of the the Mask of Chaos.

Come to think of it… Why couldn't they just _ignore_ everything related to the Azran (except for Aurora)? The world didn't need their rotten legacy. Somehow, he doubted Targent would see it that way... but Sycamore might, given the smallest chance that Luke could persuade him. He must abhor the Azran even more now that his brother was gone.

It wasn't long before Luke was reunited with his mother. She exclaimed that they had been searching for him all over the campus. His father was still combing through the library. Luke apologized for scaring her and admitted that he had wandered into Professor Layton's office.

"Then I heard the someone singing…"

"Oh, that was Janice Quatlane, one of Professor Layton's former students." Brenda scanned the auditorium until she could point out Janice. (Luke had almost missed her since her hair wasn't tied back.)

Brenda suggested, "Why don't we say hello to her?"

As they approached her, they that saw Janice… or rather, _Melina_ , was chatting to a blonde-haired man holding a violin case.

"Um… Hi," Luke greeted her on an awkward note. "Your singing was really nice."

The singer smiled, thanked him and gestured to her companion. "I couldn't have done it without Mr. Accidenti's accompaniment."

"You know you can call me Carmine," he chuckled.

"Of course – sorry, Carmine!" (Was that a mistake on Melina's behalf?)

Carmine glanced at his watch. "If you will excuse me, I have been asked to investigate the case of a missing girl."

"What girl –?" Luke began, but the man had already shot off.

Melina shook her head affectionately. "He's always rushing around, trying to solve other people's problems... just like the professor."

"The professor would be very proud of you both," Brenda approved softly.

Melina clasped the gem of her pendant. "Thank you, Mrs...?"

"I'm Brenda Triton, and this is my son, Luke."

Melina gasped, "You're from Misthallery, aren't you? My friend, Naiya lived there. She told me about how brave you were, Luke, helping the professor..."

Luke's face fell. She quickly reached into a pink clutch purse, pulling out three tickets. "I'll be performing at an opera in two month's time. I would be honored if you could both attend with Mr. Triton..."

"It would be our pleasure!" Brenda took the tickets, turning them over to read the description. " _'Join us on a musical journey to Ambrosia. Discover the secret of eternal life...'_ Doesn't that sound exciting, Luke?"

"Definitely," Luke hummed. Yes, he was definitely aware of the 'journey' Sycamore had in mind and the true meaning of 'eternal life'. Sycamore's guilt hadn't deterred his plans after all. Even worse – the opera was happening a month earlier than before!

Unfortunately, he didn't think Melina was giving them the tickets just so his family could enjoy the show. She must have believed they could stop Mr. Whistler. Without the professor, his closest friends were her only hope.

"We'll be there," Luke vowed.

"Then I look forward to seeing you all." She wished them farewell and walked away, fiddling with her pendant. She almost bumped into Clark on her way out.

Clark assured her there was no harm done and descended to Brenda and Luke's side. "You've found him!"

Luke nodded and pointed to the tickets. "Janice Quatlane just gave us tickets to an opera."

"That's funny..." Clark revealed a ticket of his own. "I just received this from Professor Sycamore. He's occupied on the day of the opera, so he suggested I should attend in his place. He was quite insistent..."

 _I bet he was,_ Luke groused.

Was this Sycamore's shot at revenge against his father – inviting him to the fatal opera?

Sycamore was going to be very surprised indeed when his schemes went awry…

Still, this left them with a spare ticket. They could have given it to Doland, but he wasn't a fan of the theatre. Besides, Luke wasn't sure if he could outrun the wolves. The same applied to Dr. Schrader, as interesting as he would have found the Ambrosian lore. Ideally, Luke wanted to take Emmy so she could defend them from Sycamore's forces. But Emmy was leaving London soon... "Would Arianna like to join us?" Brenda wondered.

"No!" Luke said vehemently. No way would he let Arianna become a victim of the Detragon! His parents were so astonished that he amended, "I mean – it wouldn't be fair to leave Tony out."

"I suppose you're right," Clark agreed.

Noticing Clark had returned, Dean Delmona asked if he was ready. Clark nodded, prepared his pages of notes and took his place at the podium. Luke and Brenda sat down with the rest of the congregation.

As Clark introduced himself and apologized for the wait, Luke was only half-listening. Carmine had reminded him of the young girls used to become hosts for Melina. He didn't know the identities of those who had possibly been kidnapped, but at least he could help Amelia Ruth and Nina. Amelia should be easy enough to track down thanks to her fame as a British chess champion. Nina was trickier since Luke couldn't recall her surname or where she lived. The last way he wanted to find out was from a 'Missing' poster...

Clark reclaimed Luke's attention the second he mentioned studying with Layton.

"I'd never met such a dedicated yet… distrait man. In our first class together – or maybe our fourth – Dr. Schrader paired us up to work on a project. I proposed we should study the Stone Circle of Pleynoth, but Hershel wished to focus on the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. After this brief ar… _altercation_ , Hershel suggested taking a stroll around Gressenheller's lake, haha…"

Even as mayor, Clark had never been the most engaging public speaker. Luke's heart went out to him as he fumbled through his notes.

"Ha…"

"That's where I met the pair of them with my friend, Claire." Brenda got up and joined him at the podium.

Clark smiled with relief. He managed to chuckle, "The four of us had a spat with one of the resident ducks, who stole Brenda's hat."

There was a smattering of laughter from the audience, particularly from Dr. Schrader.

Though she was smiling, Brenda was on the brink of tears. "It's times like that I miss the most – it's what I try to hold on to. But we can't live in the past, can we?"

"Hershel taught us that, and so much more – "

"But we hope he's found peace now – with Claire. Thank you."

Several more speeches followed, but none were quite as personal to Luke. Mr. and Mrs. Layton expressed their appreciation to everyone in attendance. After a final eulogy from Dean Delmona, Luke showed his parents the professor's notebook.

Brenda pawed through the book, her eyes widening at the newspaper extracts. "Hershel was looking into this…" she breathed.

Clark hummed. "But why have some of the pages been ripped out?"

Luke claimed he had no idea. Clark told him he shouldn't have entered the professor's office without permission. However, he suggested to the Dean that Layton's possessions should be moved to a safer location.

With that, the Tritons made their way back to their house with the Barde siblings and Beth. Luke had hoped to invite Emmy, both to their house and to the opera, but she had disappeared.

As soon as they got home, Luke started pouring through all of the newspapers he could find. He flicked past any news relating to Professor Layton and the Golden Garden. (Rumors of the garden had slipped out, despite Misthallery's efforts to keep it a secret.) He kept reports of missing people, though he didn't recognize any names. There wasn't a single word on the British chess championships…

It wasn't like he could just waltz up to Amelia, anyway. She was so set on saving her grandfather that she might not believe the game for Eternal Life was a sham…

"Hey, Luke! Do you want to play a board game with us?" Tony bounded into his room to find Luke swimming in newspapers.

"I'll be there now," Luke said, stretching.

"Does, um, Toppy want to come too?"

 _"Squeak!"_

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Tony laughed, though he let Luke pick the mouse up.

The living room carpet was covered in a collection of board games. Beth's recommendation of Mouse Trap nearly made Toppy faint. Tony wanted to play Snakes and Ladders, but Arianna argued it was too childish. Clark proposed a game of strategy, like chess. (Brenda exchanged an exasperated glance with Beth.)

"But I've never played before," Tony said.

"I can teach you," Clark offered, setting up the chessboard. "I used to play with your father sometimes..."

Arianna raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Evan would usually beat me, but I was at least better than Greppe - "

"I've got it," Luke gasped. The others looked at him. "We can organize a chess tournament in Misthallery!"

What if it just happened to take place before the opera? What if Amelia Ruth just happened to be invited as a special guest? What if her grandfather just happened to attend (provided he was well enough) and he visited the Golden Garden while he was there?

If he showed signs of recovery... Amelia should have no reason to crave Eternal Life. She would turn down her invitation from Mr. Whistler, and even if he found another girl to come in her place, it was very short notice.

Clark stroked his beard. "A tournament for old time's sake... I wonder what old Greppe would say to that?"

Brenda tutted. "It wouldn't just be about you two. The whole town could take part."

"Perhaps there could also be a junior chess tournament," Doland said, smiling at the children.

"Even people from outside of town could attend," Luke added.

For the first time that month, he felt optimistic. His parents were pleasantly surprised when he said he wanted to start school next week.

On his first day, Brenda dropped him in to school, fussing with his new uniform, which was too big for Luke. Despite this, and the fact that he still looked quite pale, he made it through his morning lessons without any problems. (He may have had an advantage since he had already learned everything they covered.) Break time was more of a challenge. He sat quietly on a bench, until he was approached by a gang of boys. Each of them had been impressed by his work in class and wanted his help with some puzzles. By the end of the day, he had been dubbed 'Puzzle Master' of the playground.

His father picked him up on his way to Dr. Schrader's flat. Luke had insisted on helping to deliver some of Layton's keepsakes.

"It's lucky Luke deciphered the directions you sent us," Clark puffed as he carried a box into Schrader's flat. Luke followed him, holding a bunch of rolled-up maps.

"The little lad has a good head on his shoulders," Schrader approved. "Just like… Hmm. Please could you put those maps in that pot by my desk, Luke?"

Clark put his box on the floor. "And if you could start unpacking this box, we'll bring everything else in from the car."

Luke nodded dutifully and Clark went downstairs with the doctor.

Now… _Where was that box?_

Luke searched Schrader's work space, careful not to leave anything out of place. Was the elusive item even in Schrader's possession yet…?

He glanced at the doorway when he heard his father and Schrader struggling up the stairs. In his panic, he bumped into Schrader's television. He quickly checked it wasn't damaged. That was when he spotted the Elysian Box, hidden between the television and a stack of books. He sighed with relief and slipped the box into his satchel.

A gentleman should never, _ever_ steal… but at least this way, Schrader would be spared from the box's 'powers' and a visit from Don Paolo.

And Luke could send the box to its rightful owners, hopefully reuniting Anton Herzen with his loved ones.


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

It took Dr. Schrader three weeks to notice the Elysian Box had disappeared from his flat. Clark wondered if the box had been stolen, giving Luke quite a scare, but Schrader believed he had simply misplaced it. He was more relieved that all of Layton's possessions were accounted for.

"If you say so," Clark sighed, after a thorough search of the flat. "I'll help you have another look for it when we get back... You're welcome to join us if you like. Goodness knows how many Greppe has invited already."

Schrader shook his head. "I'm afraid I must attend an inauguration this weekend for the Crown Petone Theatre."

"That's where we'll be going for The Eternal Kingdom opera," Luke piped up, glad for the change of subject.

"Indeed," Clark said. He smiled at the doctor. "Have you resumed your studies on Ambrosia?"

"I never stopped!" Schrader unlocked his cabinet, removing a broken stone seal that Luke instantly recognized. Luke peered at the stone as Schrader placed it on top of a map like a paperweight.

"What's this?" he asked oh-so innocently.

Clark also came to investigate. "Isn't that the Ambrosian seal?"

"Part of it, yes. The only Ambrosian artefact ever discovered. It's a priceless treasure... Would you mind taking care of it for me?"

"W-what?" Luke gasped. Surely, he was joking! Luke stared at Dr. Schrader, but he couldn't tell if he was smiling under his beard.

"I thought it would be a good opportunity, since you're going to the opera. There are bound to be some people in attendance who seek the gift of eternal life. I would appreciate it if you could question them on the matter."

"Really, Doctor," Clark protested. "We can do that without accepting this precious artefact. Imagine if it got lost – "

"That is highly probable, if it remains in my hands." He passed the seal to Luke. "I can't even interpret the seal in its current state. Hopefully, you'll have more luck than me."

"Thank you," Luke mumbled. He didn't deserve this; the doctor was doubting himself because _he_ had taken the Elysian Box. The last thing he wanted was to let Schrader down, but unfortunately, they couldn't uncover Ambrosia, or any other Azran ruins.

By comparison, the mystery of the Elysian Box did not come with momentous consequences. No one would be affected outside of Dr. Schrader and Katia's family.

Luke hadn't received a response from the Andersons, but that was to be expected. He had posted the Elysian Box along with an anonymous letter. He informed them that the box had never returned to Anton, for he was still trapped in Folsense. This would surely incite Katia to rescue her grandfather…

Would such a small achievement be for nothing when he used the Temsik Meteorite?

Dr. Schrader noticed he was brooding. "Why the long face, my boy?"

"Huh? Er… I just remembered… I have a school project I need to do…"

Clark tutted. "I thought you were going to finish any homework before the weekend."

"I-it's not due for a while," Luke floundered. "We're… studying space in Science, and we just started learning about meteorites. There's one called the Temsik Meteorite that I want to focus on for my project."

Schrader rubbed the back of his head. "The 'Temsik Meteorite'? Temsik… I can't say I've heard of that one at the top of my head."

"Me neither," Clark said. "But we can help you research it when we get back from Misthallery."

Luke didn't know how to feel about returning to his hometown. On one hand, it was wonderful to see his friends again, and everyone getting along. It was incredible to see Loosha was still with them. She had become the town's unofficial mascot. Every day, she would greet the residents by swimming up and down the canals, letting kids ride on her back. (Bucky worried she would put him out of business.)

The Manatee Rides were more popular than ever at the chess tournament. Tony was busy managing the crowd of children fawning over Loosha.

Luke couldn't believe the number of visitors who had showed up. No one could say Mayor Greppe didn't get the job done. He had taken Luke's idea for a tournament and advertised it as Misthallery's 'grand reopening', commissioning black and white balloons, banners, a catering company, fairground rides, and a concert band, which Arianna would be performing with. (Luke had been asked to play his violin, but he'd declined.)

Apparently, Greppe had also managed to get hold of Amelia, her grandfather and several other chess champions. Greppe and Clark was sat with these veteran players at the judge's table in the Grand Plaza. However, Amelia was not present yet…

Luke glanced around the plaza. It was one of the few areas that hadn't needed reconstructing, since Descole's robots had never made it that far.

In the center of the plaza was the judge's table, surrounded by five square tables with chessboards and those chess clocks (as Luke thought they were called.).

The junior chess tournament would take place first and the winner was supposed to play Amelia. Amongst the young contestants were Sean, Charlie, Louis, Wren… and Scraps. Luke doubted the latter was in it for the prize money, as much as Crow had egged him on.

The rest of the Black Ravens had pitched up a ragged black tent on the plaza's south side. With so many tourists in town, it was the perfect time for auctions.

Luke ducked his head inside the tent, only to be greeted by the Black Raven himself.

"Welcome back, Oracle… "

Luke felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He sighed. "Hi, Crow."

"Will you _quit_ blowing our cover?" Crow hissed.

"Only if you stop calling me _Oracle_. That's not… I can't – "

"Okay, okay," Crow said softly, turning to inspect some wares out on exhibit. "I get it. What can the raven help you with?"

"Before my family left… I never got the chance to thank you and the others for freeing my mum and Doland."

There was a muffled snort from under the raven's mask. _"That's it?_ Forget about it – unless you're offering us a reward. I'm sure you would've done the same for, you know, _Marylin or Nabby's_ mum _– "_

"What?" A dark-haired woman with a blue headband breezed into the tent. Luke looked between her and the frozen Crow. The woman said, "Didn't you call me?"

"N-no!" Crow spluttered. "The Black Raven will be with you in one moment, curious customer." He shot Luke a glance. "Be gone. Your time to bargain is over – "

"That's no way to speak to your friend, Tom," the woman scolded.

 _"Muuum!"_ Crow whined, all composure lost. "You're not meant to call me that!"

 _"Thomas Carr!"_

Luke backed out of the tent and made his way to the small stage where the band were tuning up. Arianna appeared lost next to the flautists, the trumpets and the other instrumentalists.

Luke waved to her. She waved back. Then, the conductor asked the performers take their places. First, he pointed at Arianna.

She took a steadying breath and began to play her ocarina. A hush fell over the assemblage. Only Loosha's cry could be heard in response to the flute, as if she was singing.

Gradually, the rest the band joined in with Arianna until her tune was drowned out. They were playing an orchestration of Naiya's composition. Luke was glad her music was catching on. Each instrument faded out as the song neared its end, closing with Arianna's part once again. Her cheeks were burning, but she beamed down at Luke. He managed a smile for her.

The performers bowed together and the audience applauded, none more so than a girl with thick brown hair.

"Bravo! _Brava!_ Encore! _Encore!"_

"Pipe down, Mudget," the boy beside her huffed. "You're at a chess tournament – not a rally."

"That's not going to stop me from cheering for Amelia!"

"Excuse me..." Luke approached the two teenagers. The boy's brow furrowed; he wasn't much taller than Luke, despite being some years older than him.

Luke cleared his throat. "Were you just talking about Amelia Ruth?"

"Yes, we were," the girl chimed. "She's a friend of ours. We're here to see her defend her title!"

"It's just an honorary match against her and the winner," her companion corrected.

"Can you tell me where she is?" Luke asked.

The boy hummed. "Who wants to know –?"

He was cut off by 'Mudget'. "Please excuse Bernard. He struggles with basic manners." She looked around the plaza before she said, "Amelia should be on her way with her family. Her granddad... He's not very well, so it might take them a while to get here."

Bernard muttered something about family privacy. Mudget covered his mouth with her hand. She smiled at Luke.

"Okay," Luke said. "Thank you. If you see her, can you let her know that Luke Triton was looking for her?"

Mudget bobbed her head and studied Luke for a moment. "Do you know a guy called Clive Dove, by any chance?"

His heart skipped a beat. "N-no. Why?"

She shrugged. "He's just a boy we used to go to school with. You look a lot like him."

Bernard removed her hand with a scoff. "What, did you think Clive had a younger brother he never told us about?"

"I wouldn't put it past him..."

"Sorry, never heard of him," Luke jabbered. "Need to find my mum now - bye!"

Mudget compared his height to Bernard's as he hurried away. He didn't hear Bernard's reply.

Luke sighed. At least Amelia was definitely coming with her grandfather.

Cripes, he hoped _Clive_ wouldn't make an appearance. Or Sycamore. Or Targent. They could easily infiltrate the Golden Garden.

Loosha couldn't defend the garden from _everyone_. Maybe they should invest in better security...

He joined his mum and her friend, Thomas in the stands. The junior chess tournament was just beginning. One of the first matches was Charlie vs. Scraps.

Charlie was beaten while he was waving to his parents.

"B-but that's not fair!" Charlie whined. "I can't lose to _you!"_

"You just did," Scraps retorted.

Sean burst into tears before he could even play against Louis. The older boy gave Sean a pat on the back and a lollipop. "Nice try."

Wren and Louis's game lasted much longer, with commentary from Socket. She was a fast-thinker, but Louis followed her every move. He switched to a different tactic when Wren swiped his knight. "If you win, how about I take you to Paddy's? My treat."

She stole his queen in response.

Though he was clearly sweating, Louis shrugged. "Alright. I guess you could just take Crow – "

"Checkmate." Wren flicked his king off the board.

"Ooooooh!" Socket cried. "That's another win for Wren!"

Now it was just Wren and Scraps. If Luke had to place a bet – though, he refused to bet along with the Black Ravens –- he would choose Wren. Scraps had proved he was crafty opponent, but Wren was the brains of their group.

"Come on, Sis! Wipe the floor with 'im!"

"I appreciate it, Socket," Wren shouted back. "But I'm tryin' to concentrate here – "

"Check."

"Huh?" Wren blinked at Scraps's pawn, facing down her king. She burst into a grin. "Pfffft! You think that little thing can beat me?" Her king took out the pawn with ease. She pressed the chess clock and leaned back in her chair.

"Long live the king!" Socket chanted.

"Check – " Scraps moved his rook. " – Mate."

"What do you...?" Wren trailed off when she saw her king was surrounded. She sighed, then gave him a small smile. "Well played, Scrappy."

Scraps smirked. "Not too bad yourself."

The judges stood up to give the victor his prize money, but at that moment, Amelia, her parents and her grandfather arrived at the plaza.

"Right on time, champion." Scraps waved to the seat where Wren had previously been sitting. "Let's reset the clock."

If Scraps had hoped to catch her off guard, he was unsuccessful. Amelia didn't so much as raise an eyebrow. She took her seat, a judge reset the clock and the final match began.

True to her title, Amelia defeated him in four moves. Scraps accepted his loss, but refused his prize. The judges were left scratching their heads.

At this point, Arianna took a break from the band to join them in the stands.

"That's Amelia Ruth?" she said, blinking at the blonde girl. "I think I recognize her..."

"You do?" Luke exclaimed.

Arianna nodded thoughtfully. "She's an esteemed pupil from the school I considered attending... before I became ill."

There was something Arianna had in common with Amelia, as well as seeming closed-off during first impressions. Could Arianna help win her trust?

Luke wondered, "Do you want to talk to her?"

Amelia was discussing her victory with her family and friends. A crowd of admirers had already gathered around them, but Mudget waved when she noticed Luke.

"Over here, Luke! Amelia, this is the boy I was telling you about."

Amelia's eyes widened slightly as Luke approached her with Arianna. Did he remind her of Clive too?

Arianna greeted her shyly. However, Amelia's attention was fixed on Luke.

She prompted, "Gemma said you wanted to speak to me?" ('Muget' must have been Gemma's last name.)

Luke motioned to Arianna. "We just wanted to say congratulations on your game!"

"Thank you." Amelia continued to study him, as if she expected something more. Her parents glanced at each other. Gemma bounced on the balls of her feet. Amelia's grandfather coughed.

Luke hoped Arianna would fill the silence, but she was frowning at Amelia.

"Gemma said you've had a long journey," Luke rambled. "But if you're not too tired, we'd love to give you a tour of Misthallery – "

"May I accompany you?"

 _Thank you, Aldus,_ Luke thought as the hint coin enthusiast ambled towards them, holding a strawberry ice cream. He tapped Luke on the shoulder and beamed at the Ruth family.

"You won't find a more insightful guide in all of Misthallery than this young gentleman. Of course, I'd be happy to point out any hidden puzzles or hint coins along the way."

"How can we refuse an offer like that?" Amelia's grandfather chuckled.

Ten or so other visitors tagged along for the 'tour'. Luke truly appreciated Aldus's commentary as he escorted everyone around Misthallery.

"Down here, we have the market, home to some hardworking citizens and the mysterious Black Raven... Let's avoid the old factory on the eastern side of town... There's Joseph's hotel if any of you wished to stay the night... In the forest, you'll find the fish research center and a house rumored to belong to a fortune teller... Watch your step! We're nearly at the dig site..."

By the time they reached the top of town, Amelia's grandfather looked exhausted. Mrs. Ruth suggested they should take a break.

Aldus paused and pointed up the hill. "Just above us, you can see the legendary Golden Garden and Barde Manor, where the lovely Miss Barde lives." He gestured to Arianna, who ducked her head. Aldus requested, "Would you mind if we explored the manor grounds?"

Luke met Arianna's eye. She motioned for Aldus to go ahead. "Please, just don't enter the house. We're still having some renovations done."

"Thank you for the tour, but we're going to head back down now," Mr. Ruth said.

Aldus bid the Ruth family adieu and took the rest of his tour group up to Barde Manor. Despite Gemma's worried looks, Amelia said she should finish the tour with Bernard.

Luke held back, watching Amelia. She was gazing at the wall surrounding the Golden Garden.

"Are you coming, Amelia?" her mother called.

Arianna beat Luke to Amelia's side. "What do you know about the Golden Garden?"

Amelia acknowledged her at last, but quickly looked away. She dodged the question. "I read about it in the papers..."

"Do you want to visit the garden?"

"I didn't think we were allowed after what happened to Professor Layton. It would be disrespectful."

Luke struggled to intervene. "The professor... would want to help, if he could."

But the professor hadn't revealed the garden until a year after its discovery, for Airanna's sake.

Luke mumbled to her, "It's up to you."

"It wouldn't make a difference, anyway," Amelia whispered. "The garden couldn't heal the professor – "

"It healed me," Arianna admitted, much to Luke's shock. "It's _healing_ me. I was so unwell... I couldn't even go to my chosen school – the one you went to in London."

"But you can, one day, and Dreycott will gain a promising student." Amelia offered her a hopeful smile. She called to her family, "Wait! Luke and Miss Barde want to show us the Golden Garden."

"Please, call me Arianna."

"Arianna..." Amelia nodded. "Thank you."

Amelia's parents still thought they should return to the plaza, but her grandfather perked up at the notion of visiting the Golden Garden.

Arianna led them to the edge of the dam, when she turned to Luke and whispered, "I don't mind taking them by myself..."

Luke swallowed. "No, I'm... I can manage. There's something I need to see."

Her hand brushed his as they continued into the garden. The Ruth family followed, gawking at the tunnel of blue crystals. They were even more amazed by the garden itself.

All Luke could see, however, was the light grey statue at the end of the tunnel. His arms were open, as if he was proposing a puzzle or welcoming people to the garden.

"Luke..."

 _A gentleman never makes a scene._

Luke rubbed his eyes in his sleeve. He turned to Arianna with a reassuring expression.

Amelia also regarded Professor Layton's statue. "I wish I could have met him."

 _We will meet again,_ Luke reminded himself, _whether it takes three years or more._

After a mere fifteen minutes in the garden, Amelia's grandfather seemed considerably brighter. Some color had returned to his cheeks and his breathing sounded clear. He even felt fit to pace around the garden, arm in arm with Amelia.

"A bit of fresh air... that's all I needed," he announced.

"We believe Loosha, our resident manatee, was born here," Arianna explained.

"She comes from an ancient race, one that thrived in habitats such as this. The air is clean and pure. Your family can visit the garden whenever you feel like it, but I must ask that you keep your visits it a secret."

Amelia and her family promised that they would.

Luke said, "We should head out before the tour group realizes we've been here."

On their way out of the tunnel, Amelia trailed behind her family to thank Luke and Arianna again. "Granddad hasn't looked so healthy in ages."

Even though Luke couldn't confirm whether the old man's life had been saved or simply extended, he had at least given Amelia some hope. There was no way she would accept Mr. Whistler's invitation now... was there?

Just to be safe, he told Arianna it was nice to visit Misthallery; he would be busy in the upcoming months, starting with the Eternal Kingdom opera.

"What a coincidence," Amelia remarked. "I've been invited to very same opera."

"What a coincidence," Arianna quietly agreed.

"My dad's mentor, Dr. Schrader is an expert on the Eternal Kingdom of Ambrosia. He told us others might attend the opera if they sought eternal life." Luke frowned. "But who knows what lengths people will go to to acquire eternal life – ?"

Amelia interrupted, "I get it." Still, she gave Luke a small smile before she caught up to her family.

"If you're so worried about the opera, is it wise for you to go with your parents?" Arianna checked.

He hated putting his parents at risk, but he highly doubted they would let him go alone.

"We have to help Dr. Schrader with his research," Luke said. "But don't worry; we'll have some backup with us."

Inspector Grosky should be there, but he could use some assistance...

"You sound very prepared."

Luke lifted the brim of his cap. "Maybe it's my intuition talking."

For all of his 'intuition', Luke was shocked to see Clive (again) in the plaza. Was he stalking Luke now?

To Clive's credit, he was being dragged along by Gemma, with Bernard bringing up the rear.

"Amelia! Amelia! Look who we've found."

"Isn't that the man we saw at the memorial?" Arianna whispered as Amelia reunited with her friends. She and Luke hovered nearby, hoping to catch their conversation.

Clive freed himself from Gemma's grasp and fixed his sleeves. He held his hand out to Amelia. "It's good to see you again."

"It's been a long time," Amelia replied in a low voice. "What are you doing here?"

His hand dropped, pulling a red notebook and pen out of his pocket.

"What a bland notebook," Gemma sniffed.

Clive ignored her. "There was a request to write an article on the town's 'grand reopening'. I heard you Amelia would be here for the tournament, but I never expected to find _all_ of you – "

"Sorry to disappoint you," Bernard snorted.

"I didn't mean it like that..."

After five minutes of awkward small talk, Clive glanced at his watch. "I really should get back to work. I need to interview the mayor next – "

"We should all meet up another day," Gemma suggested, "when _no one's_ working."

"I won't be available now until August." Clive flicked through his notebook, looking thoughtful. "But maybe we could take a trip around that time – get out of London…"

"Like a day trip?" Gemma wondered. "Or somewhere abroad?"

Amelia objected, "I'm not sure if I can afford that – "

"Let me cover the costs," Clive insisted. He wrote down their phone numbers and said, "I'll be in touch with you all when I've made some arrangements." The other three agreed with varying degrees of reluctance. Clive smiled and said goodbye.

Luke frowned as he tore over to the judge's table. Why was Clive suddenly so eager to get his friends away from London? (Did he even consider them his 'friends'?) It wasn't out of character for him to spend ridiculous amounts of money – building an underground city cost more than a pretty penny – but Clive had to have a reason. A very, very _bad_ reason.

From the sound of it, the Mobile Fortress had a launch date.

* * *

[[Crow's mother, Maureen Carr is an OC from SamCyberCat's fic, Grasping Liquid. Gemma Mudget, Bernard Trewinkle and Dreycott School all feature in Misthallery's The Lamplight Letters.]]


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

The Triton residence had been ransacked. As soon as they got home, Luke leapt out of the car and ran up to his room. The newspapers he'd collected had been torn to shreds. His bookshelf and his desk had been overturned, along with Toppy's bed...

Thank goodness, he found Toppy hiding in his sock drawer. Luke held him close, sighing. "Why didn't you come to Misthallery with us?"

"Squee- squeak."

"You can't blame yourself forever..." Luke closed his mouth when he realized how hypocritical that sounded.

In response, Toppy drew his attention to the desk drawer, which had been emptied. The Ambrosian seal and his opera ticket were gone. Luckily, Clark had put the remaining three tickets in his wallet. But now they no longer had a spare ticket.

Despite this, Luke was more determined than ever to bring some extra 'guests' to the opera.

His family went straight to Scotland Yard to report what had happened. Luke pointed out how suspicious it was that only the ticket and Schrader's Ambrosian seal had been taken.

"Interesting..." Grosky wagged his finger at Luke. "Are you suggesting the thief will make a reappearance at the opera?"

Luke nodded. "They're obviously interested in eternal life or the Kingdom of Ambrosia."

Clark exchanged a frown with Brenda. "If they're so interested in archaeological folklore," he said, "what are the chances that our masked menace is to blame?"

"That man hasn't been sighted since Misthallery," Grosky grunted. "We never caught his true face, or his name."

It didn't make any sense, anyway – why would Descole steal his own ticket, especially after giving one to Luke's father? That left Targent, Clive or Don Paolo as the chief suspects.

"Did Toppy see the thief?" Brenda wondered.

"I asked him, but he didn't recognize the person who broke into my room."

"I doubt he could give us a valid description if he wanted to," Clark sighed. "Mice are colour blind."

"We shouldn't be relying on the deductive reasoning of a mouse," Grosky muttered.

Holding his chin in his hand, Luke determined, "All we know is that the thief is bound to be at the opera... Could some police officers come with us to the Crown Petone?"

His mother worried, "Is it really safe for us to go at all?"

"I'm afraid the thief will know we're on to him if we're not there," Clark said.

"In that case, the answer is simple," a smooth voice responded.

 _Oh, no._ Luke bit his tongue as Leonard Bloom slipped into Groksy's office.

Grosky didn't look any happier than Luke to see him. "What are proposing, Detective Inspector Bloom?"

"That we assemble a task force to accompany the Tritons."

 _Not a task force sent by YOU_ , Luke hoped.

Grosky argued, "I'd be more than capable of handling things on my own – "

"Of course, I wouldn't trust anyone other than _you_ to lead the task force," Bloom amended. "But we can't be too careful with the Tritons' lives hanging in the balance."

Brenda smiled at him. "We appreciate your concern."

Bloom bowed his head to her. "On the contrary, we're the ones indebted to your family. You might just lead us to a criminal we've been pursing for a long time... Well, I should start organizing that task force."

As soon as he had left, Luke asked Grosky in a low voice, "Have you heard anything from Emmy? She could handle the thief all by herself."

"The last time I heard from her, she was in Ireland."

Was she tracking Descole or trying to shake Targent off her tail? Whatever she was up to, Luke hadn't been able to get hold of her. Luke was debating whether he should inquire about Targent, when suddenly, Inspector Chelmey barged in with a job for Grosky.

"We won't take up anymore of your time," Clark said, rising to his feet.

"There's just one more thing I want to ask about," Brenda chipped in. "It's an unrelated matter, but are there any reports on the explosion that happened ten years ago at the Institute of Polydimensional Physics?"

"There are," Chelmey answered, looking suspiciously at Brenda, "but members of the public aren't privy to that information."

Brenda hummed. "I'm relieved to hear you have some information at all. I couldn't find a single news article in the library archives…"

"Why are you so concerned with a case from ten years ago?"

"Back then, Professor Layton started an investigation… after his sweetheart was killed in the explosion." She removed the professor's battered notebook from her handbag.

"Professor Layton, eh?" Chelmey took the notebook from her, turning it over in his hand. "I suppose we can check our archives and update the case files with any research the professor found."

"That would be a great help."

When they were outside the office, Clark intoned, "Brenda, are you sure that was wise – wait a minute!"

She had grabbed both his and Luke's hands, hurrying them down the hall. "I found the professor's notebook open in our bedroom," she breathed, "but for some reason, it wasn't stolen. Isn't that strange?"

"Are you suggesting the thief was somehow involved in the institute explosion?"

"Maybe…"

"It's almost like they _wanted_ us to show the notebook to the police," Luke gasped. Targent might not be responsible after all – they would have pinched everything related to the professor and archaeology. By leaving the notebook, did the perpetrator hope they would help incriminate Bill Hawks? No one despised the the Prime Minister more than Clive. But then, Clive wasn't in love with Claire…

"What's this institute explosion you were talking about?" Luke added. Imagine if they could expose Bill Hawks now, Clive might cancel his plans! (Maybe that was just wishful thinking, but it was worth a shot.)

"I'd rather not discuss it here," Brenda replied as they walked through Scotland Yard's reception. Luke held back a sigh. She sounded like the professor. He always gathered plenty of evidence before making an accusation.

"At least it's in the police's hands now," Clark said firmly. And that was the end of it. Luke would have to ask them about it another day. For now, he should focus on sabotaging Descole's opera. He glanced at the 'Missing' posters on the reception wall, but Nina still wasn't amongst them…

Doland had managed to clean up most of the house. He handed Luke a letter when they got in. The envelope had an unopened red seal and the writing was far too neat to be Granny Riddleton's. Still, Luke didn't want to read it with his parents peering over his shoulder. He stammered that it was probably from Arianna and rushed up to his bedroom.

Toppy sat like a sentry by the door while Luke scanned the letter.

 _'Dear Luke,_

 _I apologize for my delay in writing to you. The trip from London to the city where I live, Monte d'Or, left me indisposed for quite some time._

 _I hope you don't mind that I asked Mr. and Mrs. Layton for your family's address. The two of them are adjusting to life without Hershel, but I have no doubt they are lonely. I would be most grateful if you and your parents could visit them when you have the chance. I won't ask anymore than that, since you have done so much to help us already._

 _Once again, thank you for informing me about Professor Layton's theory. It turns out his theory was correct! My husband, Henry scoured the ruins of Akbadain with a search team until they discovered a river, just as the professor described. We hope it will lead us to our friend who went missing eighteen years ago._

 _I'll keep you updated if we learn anything more._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Angela Ledore'_

"SQUEEEEEEEEEEAK!"

Toppy sounded the alarm. Luke stuffed Angela's letter into his satchel as his father came in.

Clark blinked at the little mouse. "What's with all of this racket?"

"We were just testing out some new security measures for my room," Luke explained.

"That's very… inventive of you." Clark shook his head. "I just got off the phone with Dr. Schrader. He believes whoever stole the Ambrosian seal may have also stolen the Elysian Box."

Luke glanced down at his satchel. "I wish I could make it up to him for losing the seal – "

"You can't possibly blame yourself for a thief's handiwork… but I agree that the doctor could use some cheering up. He's been feeling under the weather since his visit to the Crown Petone." Stroking his beard, Clark suggested, "Your mother wanted to go shopping soon, so perhaps we could take him out of lunch afterwards?"

"We should invite Mr. and Mrs. Layton too!"

After school the next day, Luke went shopping with his mum while his dad picked up Dr. Schrader. Brenda thought they should wear 'formal' attire to the opera. Much to Luke's relief, her chosen outfit wasn't _too_ outlandish – just a flowing purple skirt, a lilac shawl and a silver tiara that could easily be mistaken for a headband.

Luke settled on a blue waistcoat like the one he had worn in Monte d'Or. He heard a small gasp from his mother as he gazed in the mirror. Turning to her, he asked, "D-does if look ok?"

"Of course," she insisted. "As long as you're happy with it, we should make a move."

They collected Clark's best suit from the dry cleaners before heading to the Teal Tea House, just around the corner from Gressenheller University. Clark was already there, sitting around a white table with Dr. Schrader, the Laytons… and Rosa! Mrs. Layton had invited her along.

Seeing Rosa so chatty and bright made Luke smile. She definitely must have recovered from her migraine. Dr. Schrader, on the other hand, looked pale and drawn.

When Luke brought up the Ambrosian seal, Schrader dismissed the subject with sigh. "Don't let it worry you, my boy."

"We'll still gather whatever information we can at the opera," Clark promised softly. He winked at Brenda and Luke. "Did you find the perfect outfits?"

"What do you think?" Brenda flaunted her skirt, shawl and tiara-headband.

"It looks fit for a queen," Rosa chuckled.

Luke presented his waistcoat with less bravado. He wanted to crawl under the table when Mrs. Layton became misty-eyed.

"I'm sorry, Luke…" she sniffed. "You just look like… like Hershel when he was younger." Mr. Layton passed her a napkin and she dried her eyes.

"R-really?" Luke said, looking to his parents for approval. He smiled reassuringly at the Laytons. "Thank you. I want to be just like the professor – "

"Are you lot going to order something?" A waitress appeared at their table with her hands on her hips. Luke was bewildered by her strawberry blonde hair. _Is that…?_

"Hello, Rosetta," Rosa chirped. "How are you doing?"

"Never better," Rosetta grunted. "What can I get you?"

The six of them made their orders. When Rosetta had stomped over to the kitchen, Rosa revealed, "That's Rosetta Stone, a former archaeology student of Gressenheller. She dropped out when she heard about Professor - oh, pardon my gossiping!"

Her apology had been directed at Mrs. Layton, but Mrs. Layton shook her head. "Please, don't stop on my account. It's a shame to hear that about one of Hershel's students."

"It is," Rosa sighed. "She had such a flair for archaeology…"

Suddenly, Luke was struck with an idea – one that would either benefit Dr. Schrader or backfire terribly. "Dr. Schrader, do you need an archaeology assistant?"

"Do I?" the doctor wondered. "There's Clark…"

Clark held up his hands. "I think Luke meant more of an _official_ assistant, like Emmy was for Hershel."

"I'm not sure if _Rosetta_ would be the right girl for the job," Rosa murmured. "While she is passionate, she can be quite a handful." (Surely Rosetta wouldn't show the same 'passion' towards Schrader as she did with Layton… would she?)

Rosetta returned with their food and Rosa reluctantly asked if she was still interested in archaeology.

Rosetta probably would have said ' _none of your business'_ , but then, she probably wanted a generous tip. She simply huffed, "Not anymore."

"That's a shame," Mr. Layton said, "because Dr. Schrader here – Professor's Layton's mentor – could use an assistant."

Rosetta almost dropped Brenda's bowl of chicken Caesar salad. "F-for _real?"_ She beamed at Dr. Schrader. "That would be, like, such an honour!"

"Nothing's set in stone yet," Rosa warned. "But if you want to meet me in Gressenheller's library tomorrow, I can see if you're qualified for the job."

"Thanks so much! I'll see you there!" She handed out their food with a flourish and skipped back to the kitchen.

"Let me deal with Rosetta," Rosa said. Dr. Schrader didn't argue.

Rosetta must have been up for the job (by Rosa's standards), because Clark ran into her the next time he visited Dr. Schrader.

"She's definitely an… orderly assistant," Clark told Luke. "She wouldn't stop dusting Professor Layton's possessions when I was there!"

For all of her quirks, they could count on Rosetta to guard Schrader's flat. Meanwhile, Constable Barton had been selected to protect the Triton household.

When the day of the opera arrived, he saluted and assured them there would be no break-ins on his watch. Luke was taking Angela and Granny Riddleton's letters with him, just in case.

There was one letter that he left with Toppy, however. "If… If I don't come back, you need to deliver this to Arianna." It wasn't fair to leave her with the task of fixing the world – fixing _Luke's mistakes –_ but there was no one he trusted more.

Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.

His mother called him, wondering if he was ready to go. Luke sighed, adjusted his hat and hugged Toppy goodbye.

As they drove to the Crown Petone, they were followed by several unmarked police cars. Luke stared out of the back window of their car, trying to work out if the one behind them was a Targent agent picked by Bloom.

"Sit properly, Luke," Clark chided. "We're almost there now."

Luke snorted as they rolled down a hill overlooking the theatre. His father's driving was nothing compared to Emmy's…

He never did speak to her about attending the opera. She could fly in to save them like last time, but he couldn't depend on that. How were they going to fend off Descole's goons or the wolves without her?

Though he hated relying on Targent, he hoped Bloom's task force would stop the game for eternal life before it could begin.

...He hadn't imagined Bloom's finely assembled team would fail.

Grosky had leapt onstage the moment the masked puppet mentioned loss of life. Bloom followed, slightly irritated at Grosky's haste.

"Everyone should remain calm," Bloom announced to the audience. "The situation is now under the control of Scotland Yard and your safety is assured."

The undercover task force agents leapt up from their seats and marched into the aisle. Luke stood up in his own seat, willing them to move. _MOVE!_ He wanted to shout, send the audience outside, warn Grosky to release the puppet...

But he had no doubt Descole was watching from the wings.

There were screams as the task force fell through the floor.

Brenda pulled Luke into her lap. Clark told them both to stay still, despite the panicking people around them. Luke looked around wildly. He hadn't seen Amelia amongst the crowd when they came in, but he could be wrong. _Everything_ was going wrong!

Bloom blinked at the floor where his team had previously been standing. "Well..."

"What the –? A puppet?!"

Bloom took a step back as the puppet inflated, lifting Grosky through the newly opened roof.

 _"Ladies and gentlemen, without further interruption, let us begin our journey to eternal life!"_

The theatre... or rather, the ship, rumbled out to sea.

Luke groaned. _Here we go again._


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

"My word," Clark gasped. "The theatre's transformed into a ship!"

Brenda peered over the deck's golden railing. "We could swim back to shore, or find something to use as a raft…"

Luke glanced around the crowded deck. (There were more audience members present than when he began this adventure with the professor.) It wouldn't look too suspicious if they stumbled across the lifeboats, but they were designed to take the 'survivors' straight to the island.

"You might not want to chance it with those sharks down there," a man dressed in a sailor's uniform pointed out. (What was his name again...?)

Brenda took a step back. "Let's hope Inspector Grosky didn't land in the water..."

Clark looked from the sharks to Luke. "If we ask them _very_ _politely_ , do you think they'll swim away?"

Though he knew it was pointless, Luke shouted to the sharks. They didn't so much as surface. He shook his head. "They're not listening to me."

A middle-aged man leaned over the railing near Luke, gripping the large rucksack on his back. "Maybe it's got something to do with those gizmos attached to their snouts?" Luke remembered his voice… It was _Marco Brock_ , the historian.

There was another voice he could hear, very faintly, that he recognised. He stood up straight. That was Nina, singing _A Song of the Sea_! Descole must have taken her after all. Listening carefully, Luke tried to pinpoint where her singing was coming from, but it was suddenly drowned out by the Detragon's music.

Luke and his parents followed the outraged mob back into the theatre.

"The old man's playin' his tunes again!"

"Is music really the only issue on your mind at the moment?"

"Music's always on my mind!"

 _Please_ , Luke lamented, _don't let that be who I think it is…_

But there they were – Mr. Beluga and Sammy Thunder, bickering in front of the Detragon… next to Katia Anderson.

 _Why?_ What were the chances? What possible reason could they have for being here? Had Luke caused this by sending them the Elysian Box? Yes, Katia would have met Beluga and Sammy through saving Anton… But how had that resulted in them attending the opera together?

Mr. Beluga was old, greedy and perhaps wanted to spend more years with his brother. Sammy had been wrestled into a smart suit and dragged along for the ride. Plus, he wouldn't pass up the chance of becoming an eternal rock diva. The biggest issue was Katia, ironically the least offensive of the three. Wearing a long-sleeved cornflower blue dress, she appeared to be fifteen or sixteen years old – almost the same age as Amelia.

Whistler wouldn't have invited Katia _and_ her relatives. That was too risky.

The composer was currently being interrogated by Bloom. Luke could condemn Whistler right now, but that wouldn't save Katia from Descole. What if the Detragon was to suddenly break…?

"Mrs. Triton! Luke!" Melina ran down the stage to meet them.

"Janice," Brenda gasped, grateful to see a friendly face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm so sorry! I never imagined something like this would happen – really, I didn't!"

"It's not your fault," Luke assured her. Melina had definitely suspected _something_ would happen otherwise she wouldn't have given them the tickets. By trying to derail her father's plans, she had dragged them into a dangerous situation. Luke knew how guilty she must have felt.

Brenda murmured, "I'll confess, we came with the police suspecting something might be amiss. But that… didn't go as well as we'd hoped." She turned to Clark. "You two haven't met properly, have you?"

Clark shook hands with Melina. "That was quite the performance earlier!"

"Thank you. That… talk about eternal life definitely wasn't in the script."

Luke began, "Do you know who was controlling the puppet with the mask –?"

"Ladies and gentlemen…" ( _There_ he was, right on cue.) "Now that we are all passengers together on the Crown Petone, it is time for our little puzzle solving game to begin."

"Where is that voice coming from?" Luke wondered.

Clark hushed him as their 'host' went through the rules of the game for eternal life. Descole revealed Puzzle 001 and the musical timer rose up through the stage, starting to play.

Luke had to think fast. Katia couldn't win this game. He had to make sure she, Sammy and Beluga were sent home. He wished he could also 'lose' with his parents and Melina, but who else would stop Descole?

Bloom could bog off. He would only oppose Descole if it meant saving Ambrosia for Targent.

The 'detective' was approaching Luke's family much too calmly considering their circumstances. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the singer amongst them. "Miss Quatlane. Were you aware of the turn this evening would take?"

Brenda put herself between Bloom and Melina. "We should focus on solving the puzzle."

"Find the oldest thing you can see…" Clark repeated. "Should we investigate the artefacts we saw on the way in?"

"That sounds like a good place to start," Brenda agreed. "Come on, Luke."

He had been gazing at Katia and her family, who were arguing over the answer. Sammy wanted to stay in the theatre. Beluga wanted to investigate the treasures outside. Katia was caught between them. Luke hoped Beluga would win.

Out in the entrance hall, his parents examined fossils, crystals and other antiques, determining when they were created. They asked Janice for her input, but she admitted that she had never really taken to archaeology, despite studying with the professor for a year. Bloom had plenty of knowledge on the subject, but he just hovered beside them, not being very helpful at all.

Luke could hear the musical timer was nearing its end. He mused, "What if the oldest thing we can see isn't even on the ship?"

"Such as the stars," Bloom stated. Obviously.

On their way back into the theatre, Bloom got booted aside by Mr. Beluga. Luke would have laughed, if only Katia and Sammy had been following their uncle. The pair looked at each other in alarm when Descole confirmed stars was the correct answer.

"Unko – we have to help him!"

But the theatre doors had already shut, sealing the losers' fates. Sammy collapsed into a seat. Katia tried to comfort him.

Brenda looked from them to the doors. "Isn't there something we can do to stop this? People are dying!"

"Technically, we haven't seen anyone die yet," Bloom dismissed. "If anything, we're the ones more at risk."

Descole proceeded to Puzzle 002. Katia pulled Sammy to his feet. "Come on, Uncle would tell us to find the oldest crown."

Sammy wiped his eyes under his sunglasses. "What's the point?"

"Clark, look at them," Brenda whispered. "They're just teenagers... Shouldn't we offer to help…?"

Luke whipped out his notebook and pen. His mum's caring nature was going to endanger Katia and Sammy. He would much rather lead them to the wrong answer if it meant they got sent home.

He boasted, "Mum, Dad, just leave this puzzle to me!"

"Luke?"

"Don't worry, Janice! I've been specially trained by Professor Layton!"

Melina giggled. "You'll do the Professor proud."

Luke scribbled in his journal for a moment. Then, he declared that they were aboard the Crown Petone and there was a big crown on the sign where they came in. The majority of the audience agreed with his childish deduction and rushed out to the entrance. Katia and Sammy trailed after them.

Luke sighed with relief and raced out of the theatre, shouting, "Come on!"

"Slow down, Luke!" Clark called, chasing after him with Brenda, Melina and Bloom. When Luke went past the sign in the entrance, Clark panicked. "Where are you going?"

Luke kept running until he emerged onto the side of the deck reserved for the lifeboats. He spluttered at the sight of Sammy and Katia. "W-what are you two doing here? I thought everyone was going to the entrance!"

Sammy looked at Katia and continued cranking down one of the lifeboats. Katia told Luke gently, "Your answer was a good guess, but we didn't think the crown in the entrance was the largest one. "

"B-but what if you get the answer wrong?"

"Then the least we can do is try to escape on these boats – "

"Luke!" Brenda burst out onto the deck, catching him by the shoulders.

Clark puffed, "You shouldn't have run off like that!"

Luke hoped they had lost Bloom, but he swept past them, gesturing to the lifeboats. "Actually, the boy led us in the right direction. The largest crown is the ship itself." His smile made Luke's skin crawl.

"Shouldn't we inform the rest of the audience?" Clark considered.

"I doubt there will be enough boats for everyone." Bloom turned to the closest lifeboat's leaver. "My main priority is getting your family off this ship… Would you care to help me with this boat?"

From the looks of it, Bloom had less upper body strength than Toppy. Luke poked his tongue out at the Targent mole's back.

He turned to the corner of the deck when he heard Melina inquire, "Nina, where did you disappear to?"

The little girl was looking out to sea. She replied absently, "We're finally going home."

"Where is home for you?" Melina pressed. "Isn't it in London?"

"London – that's where I live!"

As Luke approached them, Nina peeked out at him from behind Melina.

"Luke!" Melina hesitated. "This is... Mr. Whistler's adopted daughter..."

"Nina, wasn't it?"

Hearing her true name, she edged out of Melina's shadow.

Melina corrected, "Actually, I only call her Nina as a nickname. Mr. Whistler calls her Melina... after his late daughter."

"She died last year, didn't she?" Luke whispered. "I read about it in the opera pamphlet – "

"I'm feeling much better now," Nina piped up.

There was a cough from Mr. Whistler, who was waiting to board a boat. Nina scampered over to him and latched onto his arm. Luke pictured Flora clinging to the professor... but this was different. Wrong. Nina hadn't _willingly_ chosen Whistler as her father. The sooner Nina's personality was restored, then the sooner they could reveal Descole's intentions.

Clark waved to Luke and Melina. "Are you two ready to go?"

To Luke's utter delight, Bloom was going in a different boat to them. Apparently, he wanted to question Marco Brock, the sailor and the other four competitors. That left Luke with his parents – who were rowing the boat – Melina, Nina, Mr. Whistler, Katia and Sammy.

The two teenagers were sat at the end of the boat, behind Luke. He desperately wanted to talk to them, but he understood they were still upset about Mr. Beluga's 'loss'.

Mr. Whistler was not so considerate. Studying Katia, he asked, "Can I get your names, please?"

Katia glanced up. Even in mourning, she made an effort to sound polite. "I'm Katia Anderson, and this is my cousin, Sammy." (Sammy didn't bother adding 'Thunder' at the end.)

Clark introduced himself, Brenda and Luke. Whistler barely gave them a second glance. He continued to address Katia in a consoling tone. "Did you both come to the theatre alone tonight?"

"No," Katia murmured. "We came with our uncle but he... he didn't make it past the first puzzle."

Brenda started to apologize, but Whistler took over. "I am sorry to hear that. I created the opera in memory of my daughter... but I never expected it would result in such devastation."

Luke tried to give Katia and Sammy some hope. "The detective we came with said the rest of the audience could still be alive – "

He was interrupted by Descole's next announcement and the 'upgrades' to their boat. Then the Crown Petone exploded.

Clark shielded Luke's eyes before he could search the water for Grosky or the submarines. Little did he know, Luke had witnessed catastrophes far worse than this.

Finally, his father let him go. Melina was holding Nina while Whistler covered his ears. Brenda was watching Sammy and Katia again as they huddled together.

Luke wished he knew what to say to them. No, he wished the professor was here. The professor always knew what to say.

At least Katia and Sammy would be reunited with Beluga... as long as Luke got them off the island.

He didn't intend to fall asleep, and yet he awoke to find their boats had washed up on the beach. He gasped, "What's happened?"

He did a rapid headcount: Dad, Mum, Melina, Nina, Whistler, Katia, Sammy, Bloom (unfortunately), Marco Brock, and his fellow survivors… Everyone was still here.

"We've just arrived on an island," Clark explained, giving him a hand out of the boat.

"Is that…? Yes, I've found it!" Marco Brock cried. He dumped his rucksack on the sand and fell to his knees in front of a stone tablet. He coughed as Luke and the others clustered around him. "Give me space – please!"

Clark examined the tablet in wonder. "The Ambrosian seal… in its complete form."

"What _form?"_ one of the women (Luke thought she was a writer) demanded. "What does it mean?"

Sammy cocked his head to the side. "All those squiggly lines… they kind of look like musical notes."

"You're right," Melina gasped.

"Maybe it's Ambrosian music?" Katia wondered.

"Does… does this mean we've reached Ambrosia?" Brenda did a full turn, viewing the island as if it was an uncharted holiday destination.

"Why don't we ask _him?_ " Bloom seized Mr. Brock's rucksack.

Mr. Brock protested, "Now, see here…!" He went quiet as Bloom emptied the contents of his bag: A brimming scrapbook, a magnifying glass, a toolkit, a lighter, an opera ticket, and a certain fragment of the Ambrosian seal.

Grabbing the stone seal, Clark exclaimed, "This belongs to Dr. Andrew Schrader!"

"And that must be our spare opera ticket," Luke added.

"I can confirm that he _isn't_ the 'amateur' historian, Marco Brock," Bloom said. The man who was not Marco Brock cursed and attempted to crawl away. Undaunted, Bloom drawled, "Mr. Starbuck, if you would be so kind…?" (Pierre Starbuck tackled their criminal onto the sand.) "Thank you. As I was saying, the true Marco Brock was interviewed by my superiors following the discovery of the Golden Garden due to his vast knowledge of ancient civilizations. However, the man before us had no memory of this interview when I spoke to him last night – "

The thief managed to kick Mr. Starbuck in his left leg and roll away.

"ARGH! MY _LEG!"_

"He's escaping," Luke cried. He shot a glare at Bloom. "What are you waiting for? Catch that thief!"

"It's not like he can get far. We're trapped on a deserted island." Bloom picked up the rucksack. "I'll keep hold of this. Try not lose Dr. Schrader's seal again."

Clark muttered a reluctant, "Thank you."

Mr. Starbuck lurched to his feet. "Don't _I_ get any thanks?"

"How does a feast sound?" the sailor said, pointing to a white table in the shade of a tree.

"So…" Luke said as he munched on a slice of melon. "Who do you think the thief was?" His disguise and his toolkit were a dead giveaway, but Luke wanted his parents to work it out for themselves.

"An insane archaeology enthusiast, by the sound of it," Clark mumbled through a mouthful of sandwich.

Brenda let out a huff. "That's not very gentlemanly, Clark."

"Sorry."

Luke tried to jog their memories from university. "It's obviously someone who knew about Dr. Schrader's work… Could it be an old colleague or a student?"

Clark shook his head. "Dr. Schrader doesn't have any major rivals that I know of – "

"Did Professor Layton?"

Brenda gazed into her glass of water. "There were an odd few who envied his achievements, even more so when he become the youngest professor in the history of Gressenheller. The discovery of Ambrosia would surely bring them enough fame to rival Hershel's… but if they resented him, why would they leave his notebook for us to find?"

"And what was the point in stealing the Elysian Box?" Clark pondered, too loudly.

"E-excuse me…" Katia had stopped trying to coax Sammy into eating something. She regarded the Tritons with wide green eyes. "Did you just mention the Elysian Box?"

Luke almost choked on his melon. Brenda patted his back as Clark replied curiously, "Yes. It was a relic stolen from my mentor's possession – or at least, that's what we initially believed…"

"It does have a reputation for being stolen," Katia confessed. "Can you describe the box to me?"

"I've never seen it myself, but Dr. Schrader said it was gold in colour and decorated with jewels and a strange emblem."

"No way…" Sammy breathed. He gaped at Katia, who was biting her lip.

"Please," Clark implored, "tell us whatever you can about the Elysian Box. It's caused the doctor quite enough of stress."

Katia conceded, "Very well."

She informed the Tritons of her grandparents' somber story: How Anton had crafted the Elysian Box for Sophia years ago, but they were forced to part ways after a terrible accident. They had tried to write to each other, delivering letters through the box, only for it to be stolen time and time again.

"Then, two months ago, the box was returned to my family's possession, containing a letter. It said that my grandfather had never received my grandmother's response. He was isolated and – and unwell, believing everyone had abandoned him…"

The tale brought a tear to Brenda's eye. She whispered, "Is that why you're looking for eternal life… for your grandfather?"

Katia closed her eyes. "Grandfather has gotten better since he started living with us. But my grandmother's health has deteriorated since we ventured out to find him."

"Unko thought we could win the gift of eternal life – for her," Sammy added miserably. "Now he's gone."

In Luke's original timeline, Sophia had died a year before he visited Dropstone with the professor. The trip to Folsense might have affected her health, but Luke had expected her to spend a few happy years with Anton. Why had she fallen ill so soon? Why had Rosa, Dr. Schrader… even Angela, all been ill recently?

Sophia could benefit from the Golden Garden like Amelia's granddad, but Luke wasn't sure if it would help either of them in the long run. He couldn't fight sickness in the same way as Descole or Targent.

And yet… he was fighting fate for the professor – kind of like how Whistler was fighting for Melina.

At least Luke wasn't willing to _take life_. He frowned over at Whistler, perched on a rock. Nina and Melina were collecting shells not far from him.

Melina smiled as Luke joined them. "Want to help us look for shells?"

"Um, yeah! I'm sure Mum would like some to use as ornaments." He crouched next to Nina, inspecting a cone-shaped shell that resembled a hat. After a moment, he mumbled, "Do you think the professor would have liked it here?"

"The professor..." Melina tilted her head up to the sky. "Yes, I think so. He would be in his element, surrounded by puzzles and ruins and adventure…"

"I- I wish there was a way to bring him back. Is that wrong?" Luke watched Whistler from the corner of his eye. The composer kept gazing at the ocean, his expression unreadable behind his glasses.

Melina's reaction was one of shock. She searched Luke's face before she sighed, "I've felt the same way about him… and Melina – _Nina, where are you going?"_ She caught the young girl's hand. Whistler glanced at them sharply.

"You mustn't wander off," Melina warned.

"Can't you hear it?" Nina said.

Luke's gaze darted to the woods. Don Paolo would probably encounter the wolves first.

"All I can hear is the sea," Luke reassured Nina. He hummed _A Song of the Sea_ , surprising Nina and Melina.

A shadow fell over him. "Where did you learn that song?"

Luke turned to face Whistler. "Earlier on the ship – someone was singing it."

"I see…" He held out his hand to Nina. "Come along now, Melina. We should get something to eat."

Shaking her head, Nina took a step behind Melina and Luke. "That's not… _You're_ not really – "

"Melina Whistler – " The composer was cut off by a scream.(Luke had never felt so grateful to Don Paolo.)

 _"Ladies and gentlemen, your little break is over."_

"Luke! What's going on over there?" Clark yelled. He, Brenda, Sammy and Katia were the only ones who had stayed behind. The rest of the competitors had run off. (Even Bloom – the cowardly mole!)

Whistler bolted when the wolves stalked out of the woods.

"Stay behind me," Luke warned Melina and Nina. He stood his ground, staring them down, just as Emmy would have done… until he was dragged away by his father.

"Dad, let me go! I know how to stop them!"

"No, let me!" Katia inched towards the wolves. Her only weapon was a purple perfume bottle.

"Careful, Kat," Sammy yelped. "We don't know if that stuff works on - WATCH OUT!"

One of the wolves leapt at Katia. She stumbled backwards, but sprayed a white mist in the wolf's face. The canine collapsed with a whine, pawing at its eyes.

"That's some powerful perfume," Brenda said as Katia sprayed the rest of the pack.

"Why are they acting… like that?" Melina asked. Most of the wolves were rolling around on the sand, though one was chasing after its tail.

Katia put the perfume in her dress pocket. "I'll explain later. Let's run now – "

"Wait! I think something's controlling them." Luke knelt in front of the wolf that had almost attacked Katia. He stroked its head. "See? There are these metal devices on their ears, so if we just take them off…" He unclipped the earpiece and the wolf whimpered again.

Nina regarded it with pity. "He's not so scary anymore."

"Right! Help me free the rest of them."

It was time to turn Descole's 'pets' against him.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

When the wolves recovered from Katia's perfume, they were quite disoriented and demanded to know where they could find the 'smelly fruity man'. Luke promised to lead them to Descole as long as they were all behaved.

The alpha wolf – Nina had named him 'Pongo' – agreed with a growl, prompting the pack to fan out around Luke and his friends.

Pongo allowed Nina to ride on his back, and Melina made a huge fuss of him. "You're a good boy, aren't you?"

"We should make them flower collars," Brenda chuckled. She perused the plant life around them. "Oh, is that a cat?"

The wolves sniffed the air, growling. Sammy distracted them with his leftover sandwich. Katia obviously noticed, but she didn't disapprove.

Clark released a small laugh as one wolf nuzzled his hand. "Well done, Luke."

"It was nothing." (Really, they were like puppies compared to Old Red.)

Now, accompanied by a gang of wolves, Luke felt more confident about confronting Descole.

He turned to Nina as they traipsed through the woods. "Why were you so frightened of Mr. Whistler back there?"

She gripped the fur on Pongo's neck. "He's not my… my daddy. We live in London. That's where our house is..."

"We'll get you home soon," Melina assured her.

"Somehow, Whistler made her believe she was his daughter, Melina," Luke explained.

"How?" Clark breathed. "That's unthinkable..."

"Were you hypnotized or something?" Sammy wondered.

Nina rubbed her head. "I remember... a machine. It had something to do with Mr. Whistler's music..."

Melina murmured, "The Detragon."

"Then we need to destroy the Detragon," Luke declared, "and stop this from happening to anyone else."

"Didn't the Detragon go down with the ship?" Brenda reminded them. She gave Luke a curious look.

Sammy came to Luke's rescue. "A high tech instrument like that? I don't think so. If old man Whistler is a part of this, he probably found a way to save it."

"Probably," Luke hastily agreed.

The trees thinned out and the wolves stopped to drink from the river.

"Is that… a castle?" Katia pointed ahead of them. While everyone was baffled by Descole's gothic decor, Luke craned his head up to the treetops. The cages meant to protect them from the wolves were still there.

Had Bloom and the other survivors proceeded to the castle without needing to solve the third puzzle?

The wolves were here now... but there was no announcement from Descole. Technically, Luke had found a loophole in his puzzle by befriending the wolves. Descole wouldn't like that. Well, no point in keep him waiting.

"I have an idea," he told the others.

They could infiltrate the castle (as easily as one could with five wolves), avoid the King's Chamber and damage the Detragon before it became a giant robot. They definitely wouldn't be able to replicate the professor's homemade helicopter.

He should have known Descole was one step ahead.

A band of masked henchmen were waiting for them outside the castle doors.

 _That's new,_ Luke thought, _but nothing we can't handle._ The wolves didn't even wait for his signal. They pounced on the henchmen, pinning them to the ground.

Luke relented, "Don't be too rough with them – "

Descole's voice echoed from the castle. "All competitors who have teamed up with the wolves are disqualified from the game."

"What?" Sammy protested. "But we've earned eternal life!"

 _"However,"_ Descole negotiated, "if you stand down now, you may still have a chance to win."

Luke glared at Katia and Sammy. "Don't listen to him! He's trying to turn us against each other." Melina nodded in agreement.

"Grandmother..." Katia whispered, placing her hand over her heart. Sammy slung his arm over her shoulder. She looked at him and said, "Grandmother wouldn't want this – this prize, obtained through greed and suffering. And she would refuse to live forever, without her family."

"Is that your final answer?" Descole taunted. "Are you sure you don't want to phone a friend?"

Silence, shuffling, and then, the crackle of electricity over the broadcast. Luke's eyes narrowed when they heard a pained grunt, belonging to Bloom _._ Had Descole captured him and the rest of the survivors? Or was this a ruse?

To be fair, it sounded like Bloom was suffering. He only broke his silence to cough, "Don't... don't cooperate! It's him! He killed _Layt – "_

Another surge of electricity. Bloom yelped.

"Enough!" Clark flung his hands up. "We surrender –!"

Luke barked, "No, we _don't!"_

"One more shock ought to finish him off," Descole sang.

"There's no reasoning with him," Brenda said, frowning. "Luke, call off the wolves. Right now."

Teeth clenched, Luke glanced from her to the castle. They were _so close._

What would happen if Bloom died here? Luke knew it was shameful to consider such a thing, but without Bloom, there would be one less mole reporting his movements to Targent. The Azran artefacts wouldn't be stolen from his dad's workplace. Scotland Yard would be rid of a double agent. And maybe Emmy would feel safe enough to come home.

 _Emmy… I really need you…_

She would save anyone in peril, even an enemy.

"Stop," Luke sighed to the wolves. He couldn't manipulate people like Descole or Bloom. He couldn't protect them like Emmy. He wasn't Professor Layton.

"A wise decision," Descole commended sarcastically. "Guards, on your feet. Bring me the Tritons and Miss Katia – "

"No!" Melina burst out as they were surrounded by the henchmen. "No, you don't need them! I'm _Melina!_ Janice accepted my memories!"

Whistler gasped across the broadcast. "Melina? Is that really you?"

"Yes, Father," she replied. "You have to stop this. Let everyone else go – "

"In that case," Descole resumed, "escort _Melina_ and the Tritons up to us. Put the rest of them in the dungeons with the wolves. We'll see how 'loyal' they are when they get hungry."

Luke ordered the wolves, _"Don't_ attack anyone."

There was a hum from Descole. "On second thought, Young Master Triton can stay in the dungeon as well."

Brenda suddenly held Luke close, hissing in his ear, "If you see any chance to escape, _take it."_

"Mum… Dad..."

Why did Descole need _them?_ Was it for his dad's archeological knowledge? Would he help translate A Song of the Sun, granting Descole the final key to Ambrosia?

"Stay calm, Luke," Clark said. "We'll sort this out."

Luke didn't get to hug him before they were herded away with Melina.

Five henchmen escorted Luke, Katia, Sammy, Nina and the wolves to the dungeon. Sammy struggled more than the wolves, who were leashed and muzzled. Pongo had complied as soon as a man took Nina by the hand.

Luke got his hopes up when they entered the maze of golden corridors lit by chandeliers. This was where Emmy was supposed to come in. Any moment now…

Even an appearance from Don Paolowould have been appreciated.

There was still no rescue by the time they reached the dungeon door. They could hear the clamors of the remaining audience members from inside:

"Did you hear that?"

"I say, is someone there?"

"Let us out, or you'll be hearing from my lawyer!"

"A-are any of you injured?" Katia called.

A woman moaned, "I got _soaked!"_

"Just the police inspector," the sailor reported. "He took quite a beating."

That was all the confirmation Katia needed. She whipped out her perfume, spun around and blasted the faces of two men behind her. Their eyes may have been shielded by masks, but they had to cover their mouths, coughing. Blearily, one man reached for Katia, but he bumped into a wall instead. He babbled, "Pardon me, Your Majesty..."

The wolves they had been holding broke free and tackled the pair of men pushing Sammy and Luke. Katia sprayed them both while they were down. Then, the supposed perfume ran out.

"It's empty..."

"Looks like you're all out of ammo."

The head henchman still had Nina and Pongo on a lead. Luke grinned. Pongo ran circles around the henchman, entangling him in the lead until he fell over.

"Find his keys, Pongo," Luke instructed, tugging Nina safely to his side. "Just don't maul his face off."

Pongo clawed through his trouser pocket and tossed the keys to Luke. Luke unlocked the dungeon door and the other competitors flooded out.

 _"You_ saved us?" the glamorous woman demanded.

"What happened to the guards?" Pierre Starbuck made a face at the moaning henchmen.

"Most of them were hit by a special type of gas," Katia explained. "They're experiencing hallucinations – I think..."

The sailor staggered out of the dungeon, supporting Bloom. His face, neck and hands were riddled with burns. Luke winced. If he had kept Descole waiting, Bloom would be in an even worse state.

Bloom peeled his eyes open. "Your parents...?" he rasped to Luke.

"I'm going to save them, and Melina," Luke said. "All of you need to escape from the castle." He looked at Nina, Katia and Sammy. "Get everyone out... including those guards."

"Wait, kid!" Sammy argued, "You can't handle that nutcase on your own – "

Luke whistled and four wolves rallied around him. The ceiling and the chandeliers shook as he leapt onto a wolf's back.

 _Please, don't let me be too late._

"Let's find the smelly fruity man," Luke told the wolves.

Pongo was staying with Nina, but he barked an affirmative. "You can do it!" Nina cheered.

Katia added, "Be careful!"

With a collective howl, the pack pelted through the corridors and up to the control room. Luke held on tight as they climbed the shuddering staircase, three steps at a time. Descole had set off an explosion. When the smoke cleared, Luke surveyed the control room. His parents and Mr. Whistler were each being restrained by a henchman. His father was unconscious. Descole had whisked Melina onto a stage high above the castle.

The wolves made short work of Descole's minions.

Brenda caught Clark and cried, "Luke, are you alright? Did the others get away?"

"Yes! What happened to you and Dad?"

"The… the masked man said he required our memories. I was wired up to the Detragon, and then so was he." She trailed her thumb down Clark's cheek.

 _"MELINA!"_

Luke rounded on Mr. Whistler. "Why were my parents' memories so important?"

"There's no time for this. _We have to save her!"_ Whistler scrambled to his feet, but he was intercepted by a wolf.

The wolf snarled, as did Luke. "I _am_ going to save her! Just tell me _why!"_

"That man – Descole has been collecting memories from all sorts of people. He wanted to resurrect someone as well..." Whistler aimed a dubious glance at Clark.

Brenda did the same. "Who…?" she breathed.

Luke swallowed. They wouldn't know if the transfer was successful until his father awoke.

He glared up at the Detragon. Descole had started to play _A Song of the Stars_ , but Melina wasn't singing yet.

The noise of a propeller disrupted Descole's music.  
 _Could it be…?_

Luke's spirits soared. He rushed to the hole in the castle wall, searching the sky for a yellow plane. But instead of Emmy, he saw a crudely-made helicopter circling the Detragon's stage. It definitely seemed... pointier than the professor's version, with a chainsaw attached to the front.

"NYEH HEH HEEEEEH!"

Brenda gasped, "I know that voice!"

The helicopter swooped over the stage, snatching up Melina.

"NO!" Descole bellowed.

"Melina!" Whistler exclaimed again. "Someone saved her!"

"I'm not sure about that," Luke muttered as the helicopter descended to hover in front of the hole.

"She's _my_ hostage now!" Don Paolo, in all his unmasked glory, gloated. Sat behind him, Melina appeared caught between revulsion and relief.

"That's funny," Brenda piped up. "I thought your heart belonged to Claire Foley."

"I don't know who you're talking about, but she sounds _very_ intelligent – "

Brenda had a much better memory than Professor Layton. "Yes, you do, _Paul!_ Claire suspected you had feelings for her back in college. That was why you wanted the police to have Hershel's notebook – so the mystery surrounding her death could be resolved."

"It definitely wasn't for _Layton's_ sake!" Don Paolo sneered.

"Of course not," she huffed. "You were jealous of the attention he received from Claire and Dr. Schrader – "

"If you're done narrating my life's story, I have a masked moron to defeat." He lowered the helicopter and Melina jumped out. She was joyfully received by Whistler and the wolves.

"How are you going to defeat _that?"_ Luke pointed up to the Detragon's stage as it was consumed by a purple light. The walls and the floor of the control room started to crumble. Luke shouted over the tremors, "I'll help you beat him!"

"Luke, don't you _dare!"_ Brenda shrieked. She hauled Clark aside and a falling piece of debris narrowly missed them. "Jan – _Melina_ , please help me!"

"Take Dad somewhere safe. I'll distract Descole."

"I don't need a _brat_ getting in my way," Don Polo scoffed.

Hopping on the edge of the hole, Luke tried to reach the helicopter. The ground beneath him gave way when Descole's robot emerged from the castle.

"NO, LUKE –!" Brenda choked with relief when he was picked up by Don Paolo.

"Y-you saved me," Luke breathed. He embarrassedly let go of Don Paolo's back.

"Yeah – only 'cause your mother was friends with the love of my life!"

Luke didn't disagree with him. He glanced down at the castle, hoping everyone would escape, and then, up at the Detragon. "None of us will leave the island alive with that robot here. We need to destroy the controls."

"You think I don't know _tha_ – _AAAAAT!"_ Don Paolo thrust the helicopter into a nosedive, dodging a strike from the robot's claw. For all of the professor's ingenuity, Don Paolo was the better pilot. He managed to steer the helicopter up to the stage, despite the robot's efforts to swat them like a fly.

"No one kills Layton but _me!"_

Don Paolo propelled the helicopter into the Detragon.

The chainsaw grazed Descole's feather boa. He dived out of their way. Luke was shoved out of the helicopter before impact.

The explosion left a ringing in his ears.

Where was Don Paolo?

Groaning, he tried to lift his head from the scorched metal stage.

A blade nipped his neck.

"Did you really think you could stop me?" Descole hissed. "You should be grateful – "

"For _what?"_ Luke choked out. "You attacked my hometown, hurt my family – you _killed_ the professor!"

"I've given him a second chance, and given your father a reason to live. _You_ aren't so lucky."

"You're worse than Targent."

Descole was so stunned that he dropped his sword, as Luke had anticipated. He attempted to crawl away, but Descole hoisted him up by the shirt collar, hanging him over the edge of the stage.

"Who told you that? Was it Bloom – or _Altava?"_

Luke clenched his jaw. Descole shook him hard enough to make his teeth rattle.

" _Targent_ would have killed you the instant your father refused to work for them," he spat. "I should save them the trouble…" His grip loosened.

"The professor will never forgive you – " Luke yelped, "even if you are _brothers!"_

The roar of the malfunctioning robot seemed to die away. Descole stared at him for a moment, mouth agape, hands trembling. He lost his hold on Luke.

This time, no one was there to catch him.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

The world was silent, swirling and scarlet, like a pool of blood.

 _Where... am I? Who am I?_

Yellow eyes pierced the red haze.

 _Do I know you? Please can you help me?_

A casual voice answered, "It's nice to meet you, Luke Triton."

 _That's right_ , Luke remembered, coming back to himself. _You're the cat Granny Riddleton was talking about... The one who's been following me... You know about the Temsik Meteorite... What is this place?_

"Slow down," the black cat said. "For a start, you're in the Ghost World, and I can hear all of your thoughts – "

 _I'm DEAD?_

"Yeah. You fell a long way from that machine..." (Luke winced, despite not feeling a hint of pain.) "Don't worry. I'll take you back to the land of the living as soon as we're done here."

 _You can do that? What – who are you, exactly?_

"My name is Sissel. I'm a cat with some... unusual talents." Sissel waved his paw in a languid gesture. "Ghost tricks."

 _What? Are you a ghost? A-am I...?_

The cat sniffed. "It's complicated. I just possessed your inanimate body so we could talk."

 _You know, I can communicate with animals._

"But this way, no one will hear us," Sissel replied.

Luke groaned. _I told Descole about Targent and the professor... He's going to work out my secret now!_

"Not necessarily. Does this Descole know about the Temsik Meteorite?"

 _No, but he'd probably try to get hold of it if he did._ Luke hummed. _Do you have any idea where the meteorite is?_

"I know the meteorite originally landed in Temsik Park – that's in the city where I lived. The problem is, I can't find the fragment that you accidentally used. I should have been able to sense it, even underground, but my powers have been getting weaker lately." Sissel's ears flattened against his head. "That's why I couldn't save your professor friend. There's some... ancient power in the garden that exceeds mine."

 _The Azran,_ Luke sighed. They had considered themselves gods – masters of life and death. _But wait, how come your powers work on me – on the island? Ambrosia was a city created by the Azran!_

Sissel blinked. "What city? All I saw was a bunch of ruins."

Maybe it was because Descole hadn't summoned the city from the sea. The power of the Azran was still dormant on the island. If this was the case, Luke was very lucky indeed.

He smiled at Sissel. _Thank you for saving me._

Sissel purred. "I'll save you again and again, however many times it takes... as long as this Azran power doesn't interfere."

 _When the Azran are no more, we'll save the professor with the Temsik meteorite._

"Right."

 _I guess I'll see you again... when I'm alive?_

Sissel dipped his head. "You should remember me after I erase your death. I'll just give you a softer landing…"

Gears grinded in Luke's ears. A clock face flashed before him, hands spinning backwards, hurling Luke back to the land of the living. Was this how Claire felt, travelling through time?

When Luke returned to life, he was riding on someone's back. It wasn't a wolf, but a woman with short brown hair and sturdy arms. She smelt of plane fumes and ocean air. Luke didn't care one bit.

"Emmy," he murmured into the back of her white shirt. "You made it."

She stopped, sighed and hefted him higher onto her back. "Sorry I'm so late, kiddo. Does it hurt anywhere?"

His head felt heavy, but otherwise he was fine, thanks to Sissel. "Nope."

"Are you sure?" A note of fear entered her voice. "When I found you, it looked like – I thought..."

"Honestly, I'll live," Luke quipped.

"We'll see what your mum says about that," she replied.

Luke stiffened. "Is she ok? Is Dad...?"

Emmy had left them with Grosky, the Whistlers and the wolves. They had managed to avoid the giant robot before it collapsed and were waiting on the sea cliffs.

Brenda had been watching over Clark, who was still asleep, but she leapt up when Emmy carried Luke out of the woods. He had barely clambered down from Emmy's back before he was scooped up and scolded for being so reckless.

"I thought I'd lost you! Imagine if Paul hadn't been there – or Emmy!"

 _"Paul?"_ Emmy repeated.

Right now, Luke couldn't care about Don Paolo. He squirmed out of Brenda's grasp and sprang to Clark's side.

Melina had taken over from Brenda, kneeling next to him.

"H-how is he?" Luke asked.

"Nothing yet…" Melina shook her head. "Janice buried her personality voluntarily – gladly, so I had no trouble acting in her place. But it didn't work for Nina – " She gasped. "Nina! Where is she, Katia and the others?"

"They should have made it out of the castle with the rest of the competitors," Brenda said as she and Emmy joined them.

Grosky raised his fist. "Missing audience members? Allow me to locate them!"

Luke's attention was fixed on Clark, but he quickly instructed the wolves, "Can you call Pongo?"

One wolf – perhaps the second in command – howled to the twilight sky. Pongo responded from somewhere in the woods. The pack rushed off to track him with Grosky.

All of the commotion finally woke Clark.

His eyes opened and he blinked at the four figures leaning over him.

"What...?" He coughed, struggling to sit up. "Luke? Emmy? Brenda…?" He sounded calm, yet confused, particularly at the sight of Melina. _"Janice?"_

"C-Clark?" Brenda put her hand to his forehead. "P-please – it has to be you!"

"Why...?" He reached for her, gaped at his hand and rubbed his chin – beard. "My word..."

"Who are you?" Melina began.

Guilty, he glanced from Brenda to Luke. "It's... it's Hershel Layton speaking."

 _"Hershel?"_ Brenda scrambled back as if she was beholding a ghost. Emmy followed suit. Luke remained sat in front of Layton, though he couldn't meet the professor's eyes – his _dad's_ eyes.

How many times had he wished for this? For the professor to replace his father? Even when he and Dad were on good terms, he had spent most of his time with the professor. Professor Layton was courteous, courageous, and composed. Nothing like the fussy, fossil-obsessed Dr. Triton. Or so Luke had thought.

"Why am I Clark? What on Earth is going on –?"

"Where's Clark?" Brenda said shrilly. "Tell me he's still in there...!"

Layton lowered his gaze, until Melina prompted, "Professor? How much can you remember?"

"I remember... meeting Emmy, arriving in Misthallery, helping Luke – " He winced and his hand flew to the back of his head. "I shouldn't be here... should I?"

"No," Melina confirmed. "Your personality was copied into Clark's mind... though, I'm not sure how your memories were acquired after your death."

Finally, Luke managed to speak. "Whistler said Descole – the masked man – took memories from other people."

Second-hand memories, probably from those who had known Layton in the past: Angela, Dr. Schrader, Rosa, maybe the Laytons, and Luke's parents. Was this truly _his_ professor, or just a reconstruction of the professor's most prominent qualities?

"Where is... Descole now?" Layton wondered. "Would he be able to revive Clark?"

"He disappeared with his machine," Luke said. "And I doubt he would help us." If anything, Descole would make Clark's condition permanent to keep Layton alive. Through some twisted concept of guilt, Descole had resurrected his brother… The only person who could outmatch him and Targent.

"Can you sense Clark at all?" Melina continued.

Layton's brow furrowed in concentration. After a few moments, he sighed. "No... I'm sorry."

"Dad," Luke whispered. Brenda was trembling.

Melina reassured them, "He can't be completely gone. Nina's memories started to return after a few weeks. It should be easier for Clark, since he's older and the professor is more than willing to help." She smiled wistfully at Layton. "It's wonderful to have you back, Professor, but you should keep trying to get in touch with Clark."

"Of course," Layton promised. "I won't rest until Clark is home." Brenda nodded.

"Getting home would be a good starting point," Melina advised. "Clark should respond to familiar surroundings."

"That's an excellent idea." Layton hummed. "It's sounds like you've thought about this a lot, Janice."

Melina sighed, "That's because – "

"WOOOOOOO! EVERYONE SURVIVED THE GAME!"

Sammy Thunder paraded onto the scene, followed by Katia, Nina, Grosky, the wolves and the five leftover competitors.

Katia was grinning from ear to ear. "Inspector Grosky said the missing audience members were sent home in a submarine," she informed Luke.

"Our uncle's _alive!_ We're all alive, thanks to _this_ little man!" Sammy hoisted Luke onto his shoulders and hollered, "Three cheers for Luke!"

Katia and Nina cheered. The wolves howled. The competitors applauded half-heartedly.

Luke dismissed, "I couldn't have done it without Emmy..." Or Don Paolo. Or Sissel.

"Yes, Miss Altava's arrival was quite convenient," Bloom stated, approaching them with a slight frown.

Emmy lifted her chin. "I came as soon as I heard the Tritons were missing." She glanced at Brenda and Layton.

The professor went to adjust his hat, remembered it was missing, and saluted to Emmy instead. "We owe a lot to Miss Altava," he evaded. Bloom arched an eyebrow.

Luke climbed off Sammy's shoulders and called, "Mr. Bloom, are you feeling alright after Descole electrocuted you? Why would he do something so horrible to you?"

"I'm sure he had his reasons," Emmy muttered. Grosky gave her a questioning look.

Bloom huffed. "Let's not waste time debating the motives of a madman. We should search the island for Descole, the thief posing as Marco Brock, and any other offenders." This was clearly aimed at Emmy. If she disclosed his ties to Targent, he would drag her down with him.

Grosky had to break the tension between them. "You're not in any shape for a manhunt," he snorted at Bloom. " _I_ will be the one to deal with these criminals." He started by going to arrest Mr. Whistler, who immediately embraced Melina and begged her to stay.

Melina conceded, "I'll stay for the time being to help sort things out… as long as Janice doesn't mind."

Tuning Emmy out, Bloom turned to the Tritons. (The Tritons and Layton, technically.) "It seems my only task is to escort the three of you back to London. I hope you will assist us with the investigation for what happened here."

"Of course," Brenda answered hurriedly, "but we would all like to go home first." Nina beamed when she overheard this.

"Scotland Yard will need to take statements at the very least – "

"It can wait until tomorrow," Emmy insisted. "In the meantime, you'll want to get those burns checked out."

"Indeed…" Bloom smirked. "And I'll be sure to draft a report to my superiors, sparing them no details of the incident."

"Hopefully you can still write with your injured hands," Luke chimed.

Bloom shoved his hands into his pockets. "Tomorrow morning you'll be expected at Scotland Yard." He went to ask the same of Katia, Sammy and the rest of the group.

 _"Don't_ tell Scotland Yard about the professor," Emmy hissed.

"You're right," Layton murmured. "For Clark's sake, it's best that we keep my identity a secret." He straightened Clark's tie. "Perhaps… if I were to maintain his daily routine and mimic his mannerisms, he will resurface sooner."

"We have nothing to lose," Brenda sighed.

 _Except the professor_ … _again,_ Luke thought, frowning. It would be a tormenting wait until his dad returned, but maybe the professor could help him while he was here.

Brenda caught sight of Luke's frown. Her eyes widened and she amended, "F-forgive me, Hershel. This isn't your fault. It's just been a very long and eventful day."

Luke yawned. "How are we going to get home?"

"I can fly back to the mainland and alert the coastguard," Emmy suggested.

Before she could go to retrieve her plane, Luke grabbed her arm. "You'll come back, won't you?"

"I wouldn't leave you after all of this." Luke wasn't convinced, so she pulled out her camera and passed it to him. "Look after it until I get back."

True to her word, Emmy returned four hours later with a lifeboat behind her. By then, Grosky had rounded up Descole's henchmen, but there was no trace of the masked mastermind himself or Don Paolo. Luke had no doubts they had both escaped. In the worst case scenario, Sissel might have resurrected Don Paolo too.

Once again, Luke was relieved (and amazed) that Descole hadn't uncovered Ambrosia. Somehow, Luke had succeeded without the professor. Now they just had to keep the island out of Descole's and Targent's hands.

As far as Luke knew, Descole had never tried to retake the Golden Garden or Ambrosia after his first attempts – most likely because Bronev had moved in. Descole had achieved one goal today, so he should be satisfied with that at least…

The boat ride home was awkward. Luke sat between his mum and the professor, but they barely spoke to each other. It wasn't like they could discuss the professor's 'predicament', especially with Bloom eavesdropping. Bronev would be more concerned with Layton's resurrection than with his death.

Surely, Emmy wouldn't start spying on the professor again. Her enmity to Bloom indicated she was at odds with Targent. Luke asked her where she had been these past months. All she revealed was that she had ran into some 'trouble' during her travels. She spent most of the trip staring out of the porthole, avoiding the professor's gaze. Luke hoped she would open up to him when they were alone.

At the moment, he just needed to rest. (How could the professor work for so long without turning off his brain?) He curled up next to his mum as Melina sang a lullaby to Nina.

They were swept up by police and paparazzi when they reached the shore. Emmy did her best to clear a path, but she was no match for Mr. Beluga. He barged through the crowd, bellowing, "Sammy! Katia!"

 _"Unko!"_ Sammy tackled him in a hug. Beluga didn't even complain when he was lifted off the sand.

Beluga thumped Sammy on the back. "I _told_ you we should have left the theatre!"

"We should have listened to you," Katia said, joining the family hug. "Eternal life wasn't worth – "

"Confound eternal life! All that matters is that you both made it back."

"We wouldn't be here if it weren't for Luke," Katia said.

Sammy gestured to Luke before he and his family could sneak away. "Our hero… _Luke Triton!"_

The reporters pounced on him.

"Luke Triton, what part did you play in the game for eternal life?"

"How did you save _all_ of these people?"

"Can we get an interview for _The Times?"_

"Oh! Wasn't your family involved in the Golden Garden incident?"

"Do you consider yourself Professor Layton's protégé?"

Luke wanted the sand to swallow him up. That last query had come from Clive. He glared out at Luke from amongst the crowd, appearing to stab his notepad with a pen.

"I…" Luke stammered. He grimaced at the professor. "I'm not…"

Emmy had had enough. _"Out of the way!"_ she roared and muscled through the mob. Brenda and Layton formed a shield around Luke, leading him to the police cars parked above the beach.

Grosky was already there with Whistler, Melina, Nina and Pongo.

"The press can be quite overwhelming," Melina huffed. "Are you okay, Luke?"

Luke nodded shakily. Sammy must have thought he was doing him favor, but Luke couldn't afford all of the attention. Not when the likes of Clive Dove could expose his past.

After locking Whistler in the back of a car, Grosky turned to Luke and the others. "Fear not. The Yard will drive you home without being pursued."

(Bloom had been abducted by some first-aiders, so he would _not_ be accompanying them.)

Melina was going with Nina to take her home, but she said she would see Luke and his family at Scotland Yard tomorrow.

"Bye! Thank you! _Goodbye!"_ Nina called from the car window. Pongo poked his head out and barked. Nina's parents would be shocked to learn she had adopted a wolf. The police weren't sure what to do with the rest of the pack. Luke could check on them later… after a hot meal and a goodnight's sleep.

Doland and Barton weren't the only ones anxiously waiting at their house.

Luke was nearly thrown off his feet when he stumbled through the front door. Arianna had embraced him with more strength than Luke thought she'd ever possessed. Tony was right behind her, babbling about watching the news and being so worried that they'd rushed to London.

When Arianna finally let him go, she was frowning.

"I read your letter."


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

Toppy had panicked when he heard Doland discussing the news of the Crown Petone with Barton. Believing Luke was gone forever, he had given Arianna the letter as soon as she and Tony arrived.

After an emotional reunion, an account of their 'unexpected' adventure, and a goodbye to Barton, Luke went up to his room with Arianna. He assured Toppy it had all been a misunderstanding and posted him outside the door (mostly in case Tony got curious).

He shut the door and faced Arianna, who was wringing his letter in her hands. She looked as tired as he felt.

There was nothing else to say except, "I'm sorry – "

"I'm sorry," Arianna recited coolly, "but if you're reading this, I won't be coming back."

Luke flinched. He hadn't realised how much it resembled her father's last words.

"You knew the opera would be a disaster. That's why you prevented Amelia from going. And yet, you still went – with your parents – believing you would die."

I did die. The memory made Luke dizzy. And the professor is alive again… as Dad.

He shook his head. "The letter was meant to be a last resort. I just panicked–"

"You panicked," she snorted, "when you're the one who can see the future? How do think I felt?" She held the letter up to him. Some of the ink was smudged. "You asked me to 'save the world'– to stop an evil agency and an ancient civilization..."

It sounded insane when you read it aloud. An overwrought laugh escaped from Luke. "I-it was wrong of me to leave you with a-all that!"

"Luke…" She sighed, led him over to the bed and sat him down. "Have you told anyone else about your predictions?"

"Only the professor," Luke admitted. However, the professor would no longer remember Luke's time travelling revelation, because his parents had never heard about it.

The professor had died the day he found out.

Luke gazed up at Arianna as she said, "You should really inform the authorities before the next event–" She squinted at his writing. "Something about a mask?"

"The Mask of Chaos…" He wondered if the Ledores were any closer to rescuing Randall. "I'm halfway there with that one, but we can't let the police get too involved."

"I know. You mentioned the Targent agent... I think, at the very least, you should warn your parents."

Luke cringed. "There's a bit of a problem... The professor is my dad now."

"What?"

"Descole put memories of the professor into my dad's mind. So now, the professor is… um, possessing my dad's body."

Arianna leaned against the bed. "Is there anything else that I should know?"

"Emmy has links to Targent." He'd left that part out of the letter, and for good reason. Arianna frowned. He insisted, "But she's on our side – she hates the agent at Scotland Yard."

"How are we going to deal with this agent?"

"If we blow his cover, he'll get Emmy in trouble." Somehow, they had to blackmail Bloom into keeping his mouth shut. They needed their own spy at Scotland Yard– a person who was familiar with the police…

"Hannah!" Luke hollered. "Inspector Grosky's biggest fan– she's always hanging around Scotland Yard. She can be our spy!"

"Won't that expose her to Targent?"

He shrugged. "She already follows Grosky everywhere. If anything, it'll make her more alert." Arianna nodded and Luke continued, "We'll ask her tomorrow when we give our statements to the police. But it's probably best if you and Tony avoid–"

"I'm still going to help you." Arianna put on her scariest witch face.

Luke fumbled for an excuse. "W-what about Tony? He's only eight years old..."

"You're ten, even if you don't act like it!" After a moment's thought, she slowly agreed, "You're right, though– Tony doesn't always make the wisest decisions–"

"SQUEEEEEEEAK!"

"AAAAAAAAARGH!

Rolling his eyes, Luke got up and opened the door for Tony. (Goodness knows how he would fare against Targent.)

"Sorry, Tony. Toppy's just been a bit... defensive since our house got broken into." Toppy was giving Tony a squeaky rant about sneaking around.

"R-right," Tony said. "I was just coming to tell you Dr. Schrader and his assistant are here."

The three of them hurtled downstairs. Schrader and Rosetta were out in the garden with Brenda, Layton and Doland. For an alarming moment, Luke thought Emmy was missing, but then she came out behind them carrying a large mushroom pizza.

Brenda was explaining to Schrader that Paul was the one who stolen the Ambrosian seal.

"I still have no idea who Paul is," Emmy said, taking a seat next to Luke.

"He was Dr. Schrader's student from the year above Clark in university," Brenda clarified, glancing at Layton.

Layton confessed, "I can't really remember him."

"It's not likely you would," Schrader said. "Paul was always a persistent– and, dare I say it– a competitive student, but from what I know, he was expelled due to his... pernicious ways."

Rosetta stole a piece of pizza. "Sounds like swell guy."

"He did save Luke's life," Brenda said, "and he helped defeat Descole– the man behind the game for eternal life."

"Do you want the Ambrosian seal back?" Luke said to Schrader. He turned to the professor. "Dad, didn't you put it in your pocket...?"

"That's right! Here you are, Andrew." Layton returned the seal, smiled and sat with one leg crossed over the other.

Awkwardly, Brenda advised, "You really shouldn't sit like that, Clark. It's not good for your legs."

Schrader tutted. "I always warned Hershel about that."

Layton apologized and adjusted his pose, sitting hunched over as Clark was prone to doing.

"Won't that hurt your back?" Rosetta wondered. "Try sitting with your spine straight and put your hands on your abdomen, then breathe deeply through your nose. It really helps with posture."

"Is that a yoga pose?" Emmy snickered.

"Yeah! It's super relaxing." (Layton looked less relaxed and more like he was training for the royal guard.)

Emmy smiled. "Do you take classes? I'd like to give it a try."

Luke wasn't sure how they had gotten on to this topic, but it gave him an idea.

"Emmy, could you give us some martial arts lessons?"

Emmy blinked at him. "I'd be happy to... but it's really up to your Mum."

"Please, Mum? We should learn how to defend ourselves after everything that's happened!"

"You don't think something like this will happen again, do you?" Brenda hummed. She looked from Layton to Emmy before she sighed. "Alright, but nothing too dangerous– and I don't want you picking any fights."

Emmy flexed her biceps. "Great! We'll start tomorrow when we get back from Scotland Yard."

"Can I join you?" Arianna requested.

Tony threw his hand up. "Me too!"

Emmy studied them both. She shrugged. "I don't see why not. We'll stick to the basics for now."

Luke sent Arianna an uncertain look. He supposed it was for the best if she was going to help him. (They would all benefit from training with Emmy, especially Flora.) Still, he hoped Arianna wouldn't strain herself...

Arianna noticed his unease and pulled him aside when they were clearing the plates away. "You don't need worry about me."

"I'm not," Luke said. "It's just..." Honestly, he had hoped to spend some time alone with Emmy.

"Just what?" Arianna probed. "You were the one who encouraged me to be more outgoing. I'm healthier than ever before… unless – " Her eyes widened. She breathed, "I won't... relapse in the future, will I?"

"No– never," Luke assured her. "Three years in the future, you're completely fine."

Those had been her exact words to him before he left for America. 'I'm fine.' It was short and rushed– just like the last days they had shared together.

She sighed deeply, but noticed his frown. "I know I shouldn't ask any more... but are things fine between us?"

"We're friends," he blurted out. Distant friends, perhaps, but still friends. He would make sure of it.

At last, she smiled. She dashed out to the garden when Emmy called them. "Let's have some dessert!"

Dr. Schrader wasn't allowed any dessert until he promised he wouldn't try to visit Ambrosia.

"Honestly, I can manage the trip– I've completely recovered now!" He spread his arms open.

"I'm glad to hear that..." Brenda groaned slightly, touching her temples. "Did you have a migraine, by any chance?" Schrader nodded. Brenda's mouth opened and her gaze snapped to Luke. She must have made the connection with Layton's companions and the Detragon.

"It's not surprising, after the ordeal you've had." Schrader stood up, as did Rosetta. "We'll let you get some rest."

Layton escorted them to the door, listening as Schrader discussed the renewed searches of the Akbadain ruins.

"I'll steer him away from the island," Rosetta told Brenda. "Oh, by the way, this is for you." From her bag, she tossed Luke a book titled, Rocks, Relics and Beyond. "The doctor said you're studying space rocks or something."

"Th-thank you!" he exclaimed. Even if it didn't mention the meteorite, it might contain useful information on the Azran. Rosetta winked at him and went after Schrader.

After seeing them out, Layton joined everyone in the living room. He nodded to Doland. "Thank you for making dinner. It was delicious."

Doland gestured to Emmy. "It was all Miss Altava's doing. You must let me know where you got those mushrooms!"

"I'm afraid you'll have to visit a remote jungle to find them," Emmy said.

Phong Gi – was that where she had been? Those mushrooms definitely tasted familiar...

"You must be exhausted from all that travelling," Brenda said. "Do you want to sleep in, er, my room? I can sleep down here on the settee."

Luke feared Emmy would refuse to stay, but she decided, "I'll take the settee."

Brenda didn't have the energy to argue. She turned to Arianna and Tony. "Will you two be alright in Luke's room?"

"Thank you, M… Brenda," Tony mumbled.

Brenda smiled drowsily. "Doland, please can you get some extra blankets for them?"

"Right away, Mrs. Triton."

Luke trailed after him with Tony and Arianna. He didn't hear which room the professor would be staying in, but he had a pretty good guess.

When Arianna and Tony were in bed, Luke tiptoed across the landing to his father's study. Emmy had beaten him to the door and was staring at it.

She wasn't surprised when Luke crept to her side. She simply took his hand and tapped on the door.

"Come in."

Doland had set up the pullout bed, but Layton was sitting at Clark's desk, flipping through a photo album.

"You two..." Layton didn't ask why they weren't in bed, as Clark might have done. Instead, he gestured to the album. "I... thought it might stir up some memories for Clark. Currently, I can only recall moments in which both he and I were present." He rubbed his head.

"D-Dad saw you die," Luke whispered.

"That's right..." Layton winced. Then, his eyes widened. "Clark... I can feel his guilt."

Luke gasped, "Can you talk to to him?"

The professor shut his eyes tightly. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.

"No..." he mumbled dismally. He regarded Luke and Emmy once more. "I believe his guilt is both a positive sign and a... a barrier I can't overcome, but I'll keep trying. We could ask Janice for advice tomorrow."

"Why does he feel so guilty?" Emmy muttered. "I'm the one who let Descole go-"

"We wouldn't have gone near the garden if I hadn't suggested it," Luke argued, sniffing. "I'm so sorry, Professor!"

"Is that why you are both here?" The professor looked between them in shock.

When neither of them answered, he rested a hand on each of their shoulders.

It was then that Luke realized this was truly his professor – their professor – even though he looked and sounded different. Whimpering, he hugged Layton around the waist. Layton stiffened and glanced at Emmy.

"Oh, Professor," she chuckled, wrapping her arms around the two of them.

Brenda brightened up the next morning when Emmy told her about the change in Clark. She was more positive towards Layton and helped him prepare a statement for Scotland Yard. Luke already knew what he was going to say.

There was just one problem...

Doland opened the curtains and was nearly blinded by flashing cameras.

"You've become a local celebrity, Luke," Layton observed. (Was that a bad dad joke?)

Luke huffed. "How are we going to avoid them?"

It was Tony who came up with an escape plan for the Tritons. He would be a decoy, borrowing Luke's white shirt and hiding his hair with Luke's hat. Optimistically, the camera crews would pursue him, Arianna and Doland to the post office. (Arianna needed to send a letter to Amelia, anyway.)

Doland took the car out. When the reporters had cleared off, Luke, Emmy, Layton and Brenda ran to Scotland Yard.

There were a some curious bystanders gathered outside the Yard, but they weren't waiting for Luke. They were more interested in the black limousine parked on the pavement. Luke wondered if it belonged to Mr. Beluga. His suspicions were confirmed when they found Beluga sitting in reception.

After a full minute, he recognized Luke's family. "So you managed to outrun the reporters? Give them a day or two and you'll be old news." He scowled at the corridor on their left. "I just want to forget this whole mess, but that detective is still questing Samuel, Katia and Miss Quatlane."

"S-sorry to interrupt..." Barton bumbled over to greet them. "But I need to take the Tritons to DI Bloom. Y-you can come too if you like, Miss Altava."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Emmy drawled.

Bloom was busy interrogating Sammy when they entered his office. He had been patched up with bandages and he was wearing black gloves.

Much to Luke's relief, Grosky was present, along with a constable who was taking notes.

"Hey, Luke!" Sammy waved. "Really sorry about yesterday, man..."

Katia added, "If there's anything we can do to make it up to you, just let us know."

"Thanks," Luke said. (It wouldn't hurt to have a wealthy family on his side.)

He met Melina's eye and she smiled. He trusted that she wouldn't mention the professor.

Bloom cleared his throat loudly. "If you're quite finished, there's an investigation currently in session."

"You've asked about this Descole-dude like ten thousand times," Sammy whined. "And I'm telling you– we've never heard of him before!" Katia nodded in agreement.

Brenda stepped forward, frowning. "My family encountered him in Misthallery, but you already know that." (Bloom gestured for her to continue.) "I gave a statement of my experience at his hands after Professor Layton's death. I'm not repeating myself," she said firmly.

"Fine. Just describe your experience at the opera and on the island."

Brenda recounted their adventure truthfully, until she reached the part when she and Clark had been captured. She provided Luke's initial assumption that Descole had wanted information on Ambrosia. Layton seconded this in his statement.

Brenda admitted to recognizing Paul from university, but reiterated that he had saved Luke.

With a glance at Emmy, Bloom asked if they had known she would be on the island, or if they were aware of her previous whereabouts. All of them gave a resounding, "No."

During Luke's statement, Bloom was more concerned with the wolves.

"Those animals were being controlled by Descole through mechanical means. How did you manage to 'tame' them?"

"I have a special connection with animals."

"It's true," Layton affirmed. "I had a… similar talent in my youth."

Bloom wasn't convinced. "Would you care to demonstrate this 'talent'?"

Five minutes later, four wolves burst into the office, dragging Barton behind them. "They didn't like the cell at all," he squeaked.

"You locked them in a cell?" Luke growled. (It was no wonder they were so agitated!)

He crept towards the snarling canines, comforting them in a low voice. "Do you remember me? I'm sorry you were locked up. I promise it won't happen again–" He was suddenly buried under a dog pile.

"Someone grab him," said Bloom nonchalantly. "Before he's eaten alive–"

Luke popped up in the middle of the pack, laughing as he was nearly licked to death. "With a bit of training, they'd make great guard dogs!"

Bloom shot back, "Absolutely not. Those wolves were employed by Descole – "

"We'll take 'em off your hands!" Sammy offered, pulling out his wallet. "Heck, we'll pay you!"

"Oh, could I take one too?" Melina squealed.

"I'm afraid we're not through here yet, Miss Whistler." Bloom glared at her. "You admitted to– What's a suitable word?– possessing Janice Quatlane's body on the island."

"That was to save me!" Katia cried. Luke was amazed she had discarded her polite composure, if only for a moment, but then he recalled she was only sixteen.

"It doesn't change the fact that she has been posing as Miss Quatlane. How long did you intend to keep this from the police– and the Quatlane family?"

"He does have point," Grosky agreed.

"I know how wrong all of this was," Melina said, gazing at her pendant. "I never wanted to steal another's life – least of all someone I love." She brushed her ponytail back. "But I needed to stop my father and Janice allowed me to–"

"Can you prove this?" Bloom demanded.

"You can't disprove it," Emmy snorted, "unless you can read her mind-"

"It's ok, Emmy." Melina hushed her. She frowned at Bloom. "I can finally leave Janice, now that my father is in confinement. Please... please just let me say goodbye to him and the Tritons?"

Grosky nodded. "We'll give you a minute in here."

"Thank you, Melina," Katia said. "We won't forget you."

"I hope your grandmother feels better," she replied.

Sammy opened his mouth to say something, but shook his head instead.

"Take care of those wolves," Melina said. Sammy flashed her a peace sign before Grosky led them out with the wolves.

"Bloom," Grosky barked.

Bloom moved to the doorway, paused, and touched a bandage on his cheek. "I don't believe I thanked you all for saving me–" Emmy shoved him out and slammed the door.

Luke glanced around the room, hissing, "Do you think there are cameras in here?"

"I'm sorry it's come to this," Brenda said.

"Don't be. It's best for everyone that I go now. I just wish I could have done more to help..." She glanced at Layton.

"We noticed that Clark was feeling guilty last night," Emmy reported.

"He should be back to his old self soon. Janice will be close at hand if you have anymore problems." Melina sighed, wiping a tear from her eye.

"We'll be there for her too," Luke said.

Melina put a hand on his head. "I knew I could count on you." She glanced knowingly up at Layton. "Wherever the professor is, I'm sure he's–"

"Time's up!" Bloom called, poking his head in again. Luke wanted to knock him out like a whack-a-mole.

Grosky was the one who took Melina to Mr. Whistler. Luke watched her go, wondering if there was any way Sissel could help her if she didn't have her own body. Melina was practically a ghost herself.

Barton escorted Luke and his family out to reception. He was relieved that Sammy had taken all four wolves with him.

The black limousine had vanished from outside. (Beluga had probably gotten impatient.) Luke looked around dejectedly. Would he see Katia and Sammy again… in this timeline?

Emmy punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Hey, things will get better… We've still got our workout session, right?"

"Right." …And he still needed to find Hannah. Thankfully, that wasn't much of a challenge.

She caught them as they were walking down the steps. "Excuse me! Is Grosky finished with his meeting?"

"Um, yes," Luke answered. "We were just in the meeting with him. He seemed very stressed..."

"Luke!" Brenda hissed. "You shouldn't say that about the inspector..."

"Don't worry," Emmy said. "That's Hannah, president of the Groskettes fan club–" ("And sole member!" Hannah boasted.) "– She knows everything there is to know about Grosky."

"My beloved Grosky got lost out at sea," Hannah lamented, clasping her hands under her chin. "I knew I should have pursued him to the opera, but alas, I had a Groskette rally that day!"

"That's a shame," Luke sighed. "I bet you would've been more help to him than DI Bloom."

"What do you mean?"

Glancing around, Luke said conspiringly, "He just stood by while Grosky fell into the sea." Layton hummed, turning to Brenda.

Hannah gasped and glared at the police headquarters. "How terrible of him! I knew there was something off about that man, always stealing the limelight from Grosky!"

"He does seem like the shady sort," Emmy agreed.

"Someone should keep an eye on him," Luke suggested, "for Grosky's sake – "

At this point, Janice wandered out of the building.

"H-hi," Luke said, Hannah forgotten. He couldn't ask 'How are you?', having heard it so many times after the professor's death.

Layton understood this feeling all too well. He touched Janice's shoulder, guiding her towards the Tritons' house where there would be shelter, a hot meal, and company.

Mercifully, the camera crews didn't catch them on the way home. That was the last thing they needed.

There was one silver lining in all of the fame Luke had received:

One week later, a letter arrived from Lady Dahlia.


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

"We're not going."

Luke could sympathize with his mother's trepidation, considering all that had occurred in the past three months...

"But Lady Dahlia needs our help!"

Flora needed their help, and Luke wanted to talk to Granny Riddleton.

"She asked you to find a missing family treasure. That's hardly an emergency." Brenda frowned. "And what if it turns out to be Descole again, trying to lure us away from London?"

"It's only in the English countryside." Luke nodded to Arianna and she exhibited the map that had accompanied Dahlia's letter. "We wouldn't be traveling far..."

Layton checked Doland was still out in the garden, teaching Tony how to box. Then, his gaze shifted to Arianna.

"She knows," Luke said.

Reassured, the professor declared, "Your father has shown signs of improvement since we've been home."

Still, he hadn't been able to make contact with Clark. Luke knew rushing off on another adventure was the last thing his dad would want. Deep down, however, Clark always had the wellbeing of others at heart, whether it was for Misthallery or his family. Flora was family- they just didn't know it yet.

"A true gentleman would never refuse the request of a lady," Luke tried.

Emmy couldn't stifle a snort. Luke looked from her to Brenda.

"I can go with Emmy while you wait for Dad–"

"How do you know it won't be dangerous?" Brenda demanded.

Arianna poked him and mouthed, "Tell them."

With a sigh, Luke told them about his clairvoyance, Descole, Targent, and the Azran. The entire truth... well, nearly. (The Temsik Meteorite was slightly more complicated.)

Brenda didn't seem all that surprised, despite needing to sit down. Layton was as skeptical as the first time Luke had told him. He hummed. "If that is the case, can you confirm when Clark will return?"

Luke shook his head. "I've only seen one timeline, but it's changed... and still changing." Each new event was like a chain of dominoes, toppling out of his reach.

"What changed?" Emmy breathed.

You, Luke thought. Loosha. The professor. Amelia. Katia's family. Don Paolo. And Dad.

By saving some people, he had hurt others. Was that just how fate worked?

He hoped a general explanation would answer most of their questions. "I was meant to become the professor's apprentice, move to London and join him on his adventures."

After a pause, Brenda pondered, "What can we expect from an adventure in St. Mystere?"

"Targent aren't interested in the Reinholds' treasure, are they?" Emmy added.

Luke was glad for the change of subject. "No, but if Don Paolo made it off the island, he might be there. He was examining the robot villagers – "

"Robots?" they all exclaimed.

"I'll explain later!" Luke continued, "Don Paolo wanted revenge against the professor, but he shouldn't have a problem with the rest of us, especially since he helped us on the island."

Emmy winked at the professor. "Good thing you're in disguise."

"I suppose..." Layton mumbled, tugging on his tie. "It seems I've made a lot of enemies in the past."

"Through no fault of your own," Brenda assured him. "Luke, how… er, welcoming are these robots?"

Luke explained that they looked and acted like normal people, albeit a little curiously, and their objective was to test visitors who were searching for the Golden Apple.

"It sounds very Laytonesque," Emmy remarked.

"There must be something extraordinary about the Reinhold family treasure," Layton said.

Luke grinned. "Do you think I'd take on such an ordinary-sounding request otherwise?" He didn't want to say 'Everything will be fine!' in case he jinxed them, but ideally, this should be their easiest adventure so far.

There were just some things he needed to sort out before they could go.

First and foremost: School. He had been allowed a few days off to recover from the Crown Petone fiasco, same as his parents. (Layton had never been so willing to take time off work.)

However, Luke still had to attend school for the remainder of the week, meaning they couldn't drive to St. Mystere until Friday afternoon. He told Lady Dahlia when to expect them in his reply. From the sound of her letter, the mystery of the Golden Apple was still afoot. Apparently, Granny Riddleton hadn't told her about Luke's clairvoyance.

Luke wasn't the only one busy with letters. Arianna had received a response from Amelia. Her grandfather's health hadn't gotten any worse or any better. Arianna had advised that they should visit the Golden Garden again. Tony would return to Misthallery in case the Ruths wanted to visit.

"On my own?"

"Doland will take you," Arianna dismissed. "You'll have Loosha, the Black Ravens... and Beth. Tell her I'm sorry we left so suddenly."

"Why can't you tell her yourself?" Tony grumbled.

"I'm visiting Dreycott School this weekend," she lied.

Luke didn't want to interrupt their bickering, but he had a task for Tony:

"I asked my friend Janice if she wanted to go to Misthallery with you and Doland. Can you look after her for me? She... lost someone close to her recently." Not only that, but Targent might pay her a visit.

"Oh..." Tony's eyes widened. "O-okay. We can show her around..."

Luke smiled. "She has a friend who lives in town, but I'm sure she'd appreciate it. And Loosha will love her singing!"

"Squeak!"

"And you can't forget Toppy! He's going to see his family." Toppy scrambled onto Luke's hand and Luke stroked his head. Toppy hadn't been waiting for him the first time he had returned from St. Mystere, but right now, he was in his prime.

Luke offered him to Tony. Reluctantly, Tony held out his hand and Toppy hopped over to him. Toppy sat obediently in his palm. Tony sighed. "I'll keep an eye on him."

"Squee, squeak!"

"He said 'Thanks, Tony!'."

Tony hugged Arianna. She sent Luke a grateful look over his shoulder.

It was important for them to have their own space every now and then, as much as they might miss each other. Tony had to learn that the world didn't revolve around Arianna.

Luke wished he could be that naive again. He was constantly worrying about everybody, everywhere they had been and everything that could possibly happen.

His main concern was that Targent, Descole or Clive would strike while they were away.

He and Emmy checked in with Hannah on Thursday after school. She had dished up some gossip about Bloom, but nothing incriminating. A few workers at the Yard regarded him as a young upstart, particularly DCI Carmichael. More confusingly, Hannah added, Bloom had withdrawn from the investigation of Ambrosia. Luke asked her to inform Grosky that his family would be out of London for the weekend– with Emmy as their bodyguard.

Emmy had done a fine job scaring off the odd reporter who dared approach Luke. (He almost wished Clive would rear his ugly head, just so she could catch him.)

"The press will go bananas if they find out you're off on another adventure," she said in an undertone.

Luke looked up the down the road outside Scotland Yard. "I hope none of them will follow us out of the city..." They couldn't risk leading anyone to St. Mystere.

Emmy snapped her fingers. "I've got it!" She dragged him on a detour to Gressenheller University and dumped him with Rosa for twenty minutes. When she returned, she was jingling a set of car keys. Luke's mouth opened when he recognized a puzzle keychain.

"Where did you get those?" Rosa gasped.

"Dean Delmona lent them to me. He said the Laytonmobile should still be parked outside the professor's research lab?"

"It is..." A frown creased Rosa's face. "But you can't move it."

"Luke's father needs to make some out of town deliveries, so we need an extra car. The Dean said it was fine–"

Rosa snatched the keys from her and marched outside. Luke and Emmy hurried after her, gasping when they saw the Laytonmobile.

Moths had passed since Professor Layton's memorial, but his car was adorned with fresh flowers, ribbons, notes, puzzles and other knick-knacks.

For Luke, it was a jarring reminder that technically, the professor was still dead. Emmy inspected a photo of Layton and last year's graduate class. Somberly, she turned to Rosa, who was standing with a hand on her hip.

Emmy sighed. "Sorry. I didn't realize how much it meant to his students..."

"You wouldn't have known," Rosa dismissed, her expression softening. "You've only been back five minutes... Tell you what– you can borrow my husband's car. Can't drive when he's on medication, anyway. Just pick it up whenever you need it."

"Thank you," Luke said. "My dad will appreciate it."

Emmy was quiet as she and Luke headed home.

Luke tried to cheer her up. "Will we have time for a martial arts lesson before we leave?"

So far, she had taught them how to block punches with their forearms. Luke had been the first to pick it up. Arianna ran out of breath faster than him, so she resorted to watching Emmy. Tony tired not long after her, but he threw surprisingly strong punches, thanks to practicing with Doland. (Luke still had a bruise on his arm...)

"Right now?" Emmy stopped, turned and rushed at him before he could even yelp, let alone block her.

"Alright. You win," he resigned, wriggling out of her surprise bear hug.

Emmy wasn't smiling. "Just because you picked up a couple of moves doesn't mean you'll be ready to face a real threat."

Heat rose to Luke's face. "I beat Descole… sort of!" And he'd supported the professor against other enemies... from the sidelines.

"I'm only warning you because I've been there myself." Huffing, she ran a hand through her short hair– shorter than Luke's now.

He swallowed and whispered, "What happened... when you were away?"

She gripped the ends of her hair, gaping at him. "You don't know?"

"You were the professor's assistant for three years before– in my timeline."

"I wish that could have happened." Emmy started walking. Luke struggled to keep up with her long strides. After glancing over her shoulder (she did that a lot these days), she muttered, "It was my uncle who suggested I should work for the professor and help him discover the Golden Garden. I didn't realize how much it would put the professor at risk. After what happened, I... I turned my back on Targent and my uncle. But he wouldn't let me go that easily." She kicked a stone out of her path.

"Did they come after you?"

Emmy nodded. "Assassins, willing to take me dead or alive. I managed to fight them off, but I think I… fatally injured one in the process." She rubbed her hands until Luke took hold of one of them. Resolved, she went on, "His name was Plover, and in his last minutes he was rambling about his home – an isolated jungle village called Phongi. I traveled there, told his family he had been killed in action, and they let me hide with them." (That explained how she had acquired the mushrooms.) "Before I could get too comfy, Targent found me again. I ran, trying to lead them away from the village, but they gunned me down and I..."

She winced at Luke, who had gotten teary.

"H-how did you make it out?"

"I thought I was a goner," Emmy breathed. "But as I lay there... I heard a voice, telling me I had to get home– to help you." She let out a gloomy laugh. "It sounds insane, doesn't it? Still, I got up and trekked through the jungle until I reached a river and a boat."

Was this Sissel's doing? His powers would have to include time travel and teleportation... If that was the case, it was lucky Emmy hadn't hidden in Phongi's Azran crystal cave.

"I'm...I'm glad you're back." Luke lowered his cap, drying his eyes.

"Me too." She lifted his cap and Luke saw she smiling now. "Come on, we'd better get you home. Have you finished packing yet?"

"J-just about!" And by that, he meant he had crammed everything inside his suitcase.

The professor's packing wasn't much neater. (He lacked Clark's organization skills.) Layton was perplexed when he caught Luke trying to stow a metal pipe in with his luggage. "What purpose would a pipe serve, my boy?"

"We can use it for protection... or if you had a sword, that would be better." Don Paolo or not, Luke wasn't taking any chances.

After they had seen Doland, Tony, Toppy and Janice off, Emmy went to pick up Mr. Grimes' car.

"What a charming model," Layton commented as the car rattled to a stop outside their house. "They don't make classics like that anymore."

Luke made a face. (And he'd thought the Laytonmobile was old…) This car might have been light blue once, but now it had faded to the same colour as Loosha. Luke whispered to Arianna and she giggled, "It's the Looshamobile!" Even Brenda struggled to contain her laughter.

"Remember, Rosa was kind enough to let us borrow it," Emmy said as they squeezed their luggage into the trunk. Layton nodded

Luke wondered, "How fast does it go?"

Even with Emmy behind the wheel, it moved about as fast as a giant manatee on land. At least no one would recognize them driving out of London. Just to be safe, Luke took off his blue cap and buried his nose in the book Rosetta had given him. Mostly, it was about examining the strata around British relics– something Luke's dad would be more interested in. Luke skimmed through Rosetta's notes and heart doodles ('RS+PL') until he reached a section on crystals. One page contained an image of an unearthly blue crystal.

Arianna took a peek at the page. "There are crystals like that in the Golden Garden!"

"I remember seeing them in other Azran sites as well." Luke read aloud from the book. "They're living crystals... and it's thought they were all connected to the Azran eons ago, which means all the sites must be connected."

Was the jewel on Aurora's pendant made from the same type of crystal?

The book didn't provide any more information he was looking for. There was nothing on the Temsik Meteorite...

Luke stared at the page for a moment, not meeting Arianna or his mum's eyes. That was the only thing he hadn't mentioned to them – the meteorite. He would have to reset the timeline when he had found his fragment.

Why were they going to find Flora, when St. Mystere had nothing to do with the Azran? Was it even fair to drag her into their unstable lives?

What was the point of any of this–?

I want her to be with us, Luke thought. There was no telling how long it would take before he got the meteorite fragment– how long Flora would have to wait. And this way, she would get to meet the professor before he departed.

"Luke?" Brenda said. His nails were digging into the book. Arianna took the book from him and passed it to Brenda.

"Sorry... I guess I'm a bit distracted."

"Why don't you tell us more about the village?" Layton suggested from the front.

"Okay. Our goal is to find the Golden Apple." He hadn't revealed Flora's identity yet, outside of a few hints. They could try and figure it out for themselves first.

By the time he had described the villagers, Reinhold Manor, the tower, Granny Riddleton's shack and the abandoned amusement park (which hopefully would not include a runway Ferris wheel), they were on the bumpy road leading to St. Mystere.

Luke enjoyed the bouncy feeling Emmy's driving gave him. Layton, on the other hand, did not. He raised his hand to fix his hat, before realization hit him. He sighed faintly and gazed at the window.

"Maybe slow down a bit, Emmy?" Luke suggested.

"Slow down? This thing can't go any slower–"

"Is that the tower?" Arianna pointed out.

That dark disjointed tower had never looked so inviting.

 _Hold on, Flora._


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

Arianna solved the drawbridge puzzle _("Leave it to me!")_ and the five of them filed into St. Mystere, confident that no one would bother stealing the Looshamobile.

"So, this St. Mystere…" Brenda murmured, lowering her guard at the excitement of exploring a new location. Luke smiled at her. For the first time, he felt fairly relaxed during an adventure with his family.

His smile widened when he saw Stachenscarfen. He was different from the rest of the robots (if he was a robot at all) because he had followed the professor like Granny Riddleton. Had he been informed that Luke was familiar with the village?

He was going to listen to Stachen's 'lesson', as was customary, but Emmy told him they already knew everything about hint coins. Stachen was highly offended.

"Emmy," Luke hissed as they ambled through the village square. "It's his _job_ to give us advice. You can't ignore the others residents when they're giving out puzzles and hints."

"We can't keep Lady Dahlia waiting," Emmy countered. (Luke sent her a flat look.) "Fine, fine, I'll talk to this guy…" She approached a small man holding a book and he offered her directions to Reinhold Manor.

Following Emmy's example, Arianna went to greet Ingrid as she strolled past them. While they talked, Luke waited for the professor to propose a puzzle inspired by the clock tower, but Layton's gaze was fixed on the larger tower behind it. Was Flora up there right now, watching over them? Or was she already following them through the village?

Luke looked around. He grabbed Layton's sleeve when he saw the door to Granny Riddleton's puzzle shack. "Look at this!"

"'House of Puzzles,'" Layton read from the sign on the door. He didn't sound very excited, but he still knocked. No one answered.

Luke peered through a window. Where was Granny Riddleton? She had to be somewhere in town…

"Reinhold Manor is just up the the road on our right," Emmy declared (as if Luke didn't already know).

Arianna fell into stride with Luke walking up the road. "That woman just gave me an optical illusion puzzle."

Luke glanced at the professor and wondered quietly, "Was it something to do with top hats?"

"No, it was about ribbons – Wait a minute..!" Arianna pouted at him. "You know all the answers already!"

"That's cheating," Emmy interjected.

"It's no wonder you've been doing so well at school," Brenda said.

"I don't know _everything_ ," Luke protested. "Puzzles can change..." He trailed off when they saw the man in black blocking the road. Emmy asked him to move, but he refused to do so until they solved his riddle.

Not the _Light Weight_ puzzle. Luke groaned inwardly. The solution to this one seemed to boil down to pure luck. Emmy took up the challenge, but after ten minutes she looked like she wanted to drop a heavy weight on the man. The professor stepped in to assist her with a sigh.

While the rest of them waited (no pun intended), Luke kept an eye out for Flora along the road. His eyes widened when someone he didn't recognize exited the village shop: A young woman with brown skin and dark hair held in two loose plaits. She was wearing a minty green dress and carrying a basket filled with groceries.

Was she simply a traveler passing through town? They hadn't seen any other cars near the bridge… She may have arrived on foot – though it was unlikely, judging by her sandals. And what reason would the drawbridge keeper have for letting another 'outsider' in?

Supposing she actually _lived_ here, why didn't Luke recognize her? All of the villagers had come to wave Flora off, but this woman hadn't been amongst them. Did Bruno create her only for her to break down when Luke and Layton originally visited St. Mystere?

The woman caught him staring, smiled and waved him over with Brenda and Arianna.

"Hi, welcome to St. Mystere! Please can you help me with this puzzle?" She seemed pleasant enough, but her words sounded too rehearsed… mechanical, even. None of the residents outwardly behaved like robots until they malfunctioned…

Luke solved her grocery puzzle – it was another one he hadn't encountered before – and introduced their group.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Elena – "

"We finally solved the puzzle!" Emmy crowed.

"Are you on your way to Reinhold Manor?" Elena said. "I won't keep you, but you should definitely visit Granny Riddleton if you lose any puzzles."

"We will," Luke replied. He was glad to hear Granny Riddleton was in town, because now it was urgent that he talked with her.

Elena giggled and strode away, humming to herself.

"Did she seem... familiar to you?" Luke said. Brenda stared after her, frowning.

Arianna shook her head. "Haven't _you_ seen her before?"

"Not in St. Mystere. That's what's worrying me."

They continued up to Reinhold Manor and Luke tried to recollect if he had ever seen her face or heard her voice before.

Emmy had been too far away to see her properly, but Luke asked if there were any Targent members by the name of Elena.

Emmy's lip curled. "None that I can remember... Why – do you think she could be a spy?"

"I really, really hope not."

"Why don't we ask Lady Dahlia about her?" Brenda suggested. "She's bound to know everything that's going on in town."

Ramon rowed them across the river after Luke had proved he was the 'real' Luke Triton.

"The nerve of that man," Arianna hissed when they were on the other side (and safely out of Ramon's hearing). "Who _else_ would you be?"

"A master of disguise?" Luke supplied _._ Or a future version of himself? Honestly, he couldn't fault Ramon's skepticism.

Matthew was flustered when the five of them flooded into the manor. "Welcome to Reinhold Manor… a-all of you." He bowed his head to Arianna and Emmy. "Please excuse me! I was under the misconception that Luke Triton would only be accompanied by his parents…" Brenda and Layton edged closer together.

Luke assured him Arianna and Emmy were part of their family. This seemed to appease Matthew. He presented Luke with the matchstick puzzle from Lady Dahlia. Thankfully, Luke had no problems solving it. He needed a make a good impression for Lady Dahlia and more importantly, Flora.

"That's correct, young sir. You have my full respects. Now, if you will please head upstairs. We mustn't keep Lady Dahlia and company waiting."

Arianna had been investigating the paintings on the wall. "This must be the late Baron Reinhold… And is this girl related to him?"

Luke blinked at Flora's portrait. It wasn't the one he remembered. The Flora pictured here had a slightly rounder face and wore a frilly white dress, as opposed to a flowing red gown. Of course, she would be no older than twelve in this time.

When exactly had her father died? She had rarely mentioned him when she came to London with the professor and Luke… unless, she had just mentioned him to the professor. She was shocked (and appeared quite sad) when she discovered Luke had his own parents, living in the same city.

 _"I'm sorry – You and the professor are so close! – I just thought…"_

She'd thought he was an orphan, like her.

Was it any wonder she hadn't opened up to him about her father…?

"You are looking at a portrait of Flora, the late baron's daughter," Matthew informed them, pulling Luke from his thoughts.

"Is she here?" Emmy asked. "Would she know anything about the Golden Apple?"

"I'm afraid she no longer lives at the manor," Matthew said, a tad hurriedly. "Now, we really mustn't tarry!"

Matthew rushed them up to the parlor and announced, "Madam, Luke Triton and his... erm, family."

Simon and Gordon stared at them.

"Oh?" Lady Dahlia stood up and crossed the parlor, clutching Claudia. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Luke, Mr. and Mrs. Triton..." She raised a thin eyebrow at Emmy and Arianna. "These are your sisters I presume?"

"Friends, actually," Emmy corrected.

"Forgive me. You look so young."

Emmy scratched her head. Luke stepped forward before she could respond.

"Thank you for inviting us. We hope to help as much as we can." He glanced at Claudia, but the cat was still dozing.

"This is my darling Claudia," Dahlia cooed. "I've heard that you're good with pets. Would you like to hold her?"

"W-wait – " Luke froze as Claudia was placed in his arms. He peeked up at the ceiling, but all he could hear was Gordon's puffing. He sighed with relief and smiled down at Claudia.

"Well, that's a start," Simon snickered. "The devil didn't try to claw your face off."

Dahlia shushed him and gestured for Luke to sit beside her on the purple settee. Arianna tried to stroke Claudia, but Luke turned away from her, chatting to Dahlia about how feral _some cats_ could be. Arianna seemed to get the message and squashed onto the opposite settee with Emmy, Brenda and Layton.

Dahlia didn't acknowledge Matthew bringing in extra chairs for Simon and Gordon. Luke occupied the entirety of her attention.

He gulped. "So, um, where would you like us to start with this inheritance dispute?"

"It would be best if you were introduced to the family first. That's Gordon, the baron's younger brother, and his son, Simon – "

Simon slid his chair next to Luke. "I expected you to have more presence… but you're like what, _seven years old?"_

"He's _ten!"_ Emmy and Arianna chorused.

Dahlia resumed, "You're quite mature for your age, and brave, and intelligent, I'm given to understand."

"He overcame the matchstick puzzle with flying colours," Matthew reported, passing Dahlia a cup of tea. He offered one to Luke and ended up with four more requests.

"I don't suppose you could solve this one?" Gordon gave him a puzzle about bickering brothers, which Luke completed in less than a minute. (He didn't care if it looked suspicious – he was getting rather impatient.)

"Marvelous!" Gordon trumpeted. "We don't have to worry about any family disputes."

Luke wanted to remind them of the _inheritance dispute_ , but he wouldn't dare interrupt Lady Dahlia. She inquired about his education. Brenda revealed that he was top of the class for most subjects and many students admired him.

Dahlia suddenly changed the subject. "What about your hobbies? Do you enjoy travelling? Reading? Cooking…?"

Yes, his family travelled a lot – particularly his mum – but he hoped things would settle down after their last adventure. He liked reading adventure books. (Though, he had returned to _The_ _Wind in the Willows_ this past week.) He admitted that Doland did most of the cooking at home.

Gordon was particularly relieved to learn the Tritons had a butler, and that Clark used to be a mayor. "So, your family is fairly prosperous – "

"That doesn't matter," Dahlia interrupted, "as long as Luke is an example of a true gentleman."

"He learned from the best," Emmy said, making both Luke and Layton blush.

"Indeed…" Dahlia raised her teacup. "And do you have a passion for music?"

Luke stammered that he enjoyed the Eternal Kingdom opera, but more for the story than the music.

"Don't forget, you can play the _violin,"_ Arianna piped up.

"You _must_ perform for us!" Dahlia clapped her hands and Matthew pattered to her side. "Go and ask Elena if she has a violin Luke can borrow. Bring it here right away."

 _"Elena?"_ Luke repeated, too astonished to protest.

"She's our local music teacher. I'm sure she has a spare violin on hand."

There hadn't been any mention of a music teacher the first time Luke had visited St. Mystere. Flora didn't even play an instrument…

Dahlia asked Luke to describe his adventures (with commentary from Emmy, Arianna and Brenda) until Matthew got back. Elena was with him, carrying a violin and a bow.

"I… I haven't practiced for a while," Luke stalled when she handed both to him.

She patted him on the head. "You can do it."

Lady Dahlia, Gordon and Simon were observing him as if he was Beethoven. Instead, Luke turned to his family. Music was something he couldn't 'cheat' at. He could very easily fail, but they wouldn't hold it against him. His mum and the professor watched him with pride. Emmy gave him a thumbs-up. Arianna smiled. Luke smiled back and assumed his stance…

…His rusty rendition of _Three Blind Mice_ made Claudia bolt from the room.

The professor winced. "Practice makes perfect."

Luke grinned nervously at Dahlia. "Heh heh..."

"How could all of you just _sit_ there? My baby has been traumatized!"

"Not so perfect now, eh?" Simon snorted at Luke.

Matthew rushed over to calm Dahlia down.

Elena plucked violin from Luke's hands and said, "Don't worry, Lady Dahlia. We'll all help look for Claudia and bring her back safely." She gestured to Luke and Co. "Can you five search the village with me?"

"I can't see how this is _our_ problem," Emmy grumbled as Elena led them downstairs.

"I'm quite grateful for the interruption," Brenda admitted. "Why were they harassing Luke like that?"

Luke shrugged. "Maybe they think I'm a celebrity?" But the professor had been even more famous when he visited, and Lady Dahlia hadn't fawned over him...  
Glancing at the professor, Luke realised that he was still rubbing his head.

"My playing wasn't _that_ bad, was it?"

"No, it's not… not that," Layton mumbled. " _I_ didn't say anything."

Luke gasped, _"Dad?"_

 _Practice makes perfect._ That was his motto when Luke started having lessons.

Elena huffed when they all huddled around Layton outside the manor. "We can't stop here…"

"This is more important than finding a _cat,"_ Arianna snapped. Emmy hushed her.

"I mean we can't discuss _Clark_ here," Elena said in a low voice. "If you come with me, we can go somewhere quiet."

Luke studied her for a moment before he nodded to the others. "Let's go."

She brought them to Granny Riddleton's puzzle shack, opened the door and ushered them inside.

"The _House of Puzzles?"_ Arianna said. "What are we doing here…?" She squinted when a witch emerged from the shadows.

" _You're_ here because you're caught in a bit of pickle," Granny Riddleton answered.

There was a meow from behind her. "Hopefully, we can help you out."

"Sissel!" Luke cried. He crouched beside Sissel, stroking his glossy fur. This was their first official meeting... well, _in the flesh_. Luke had assumed he was a small cat, but he actually looked more like a kitten.

After introducing herself and and describing her role as puzzle keeper, Granny Riddleton turned to Elena. "Have they worked it out yet?"

Elena fiddled with one of her plaits. "Sorry I couldn't tell you sooner. I didn't want the other villagers to overhear…"

"It's okay…" Luke smiled at her. "Melina."

"How?" Brenda said, frowning slightly. "You're not possessing another person's body, are you?"

"Oh, no! This... this robot body was created just for me." She glanced at Granny Riddleton.

"Bruno, an old friend of the baron's built it – with a bit of help from ol' Donny."

 _"_ Not _Don Paolo?"_ Luke exclaimed.

"The very same!" Granny Riddleton confirmed. "After Sissel rescued him, I decided he could repay us by aiding Bruno around the village… keeps him out of trouble."

"I found Melina's spirit floating around in the void," Sissel told Luke. "I couldn't just leave her there! So, I guided her into her new body."

Emmy cut in, "You know we can't understand a word you're saying."

Luke quickly translated for Sissel.

"That's incredible," Layton gasped. He tapped his head with his fingers. "Would you, perhaps, be able to do the same for me? I'm not really Luke's father, you see – "

"We know," Granny Riddleton interrupted. "I'm a clairvoyant – one much more experienced than Luke. I always knew _you_ would visit St. Mystere in some shape or form." Her voice lost its jovial tone. "That's one of the reasons I was so confused after... you know."

"Can you remove the professor's spirit from Dad's body?" Luke asked Sissel. "And put him in a robot like Melina?" He could help them _both!_

"I'll try." Sissel closed his eyes. When he looked at Luke again, his whiskers drooped. "I can see your dad's core, but it's too weak for me to latch on to."

"What about the Professor's 'core'?"

"He doesn't have one."

Luke sighed and explained the issue to everyone.

"Descole stole other people's memories to resurrect the professor," Melina reasoned. "Maybe that's the problem. His original… core no longer exists."

Brenda protested, "But Clark responded to Luke playing the violin – we heard him!"

"Which is proof that Clark's core is growing stronger. We just need to trigger his memories." She studied the violin Luke had borrowed. "We've already used sound…"

"I've been trying to preserve Clark's daily life at home," Layton reported. "He hasn't responded to eating the same meals, or to seeing old photos."

"That rules out smell, taste and sight," Arianna said.

"What about touch?" Granny Riddleton added. She wiggled her eyebrows at Brenda. "You'll have to _charm_ him into coming back!"

"W-what?" Brenda spluttered. "I can't do that to Hershel!" The professor went red and ducked his head.

Granny Riddleton pursed her lips. "Not even a little kiss?"

"Not in front of everyone!"

"If you want, I can take Luke and Arianna to find Dahlia's cat," Emmy offered.

"Y-yes, please," Brenda sighed.

Luke rubbed his eyes when he, Emmy and Arianna were out in the street. (Granny Riddleton _really_ needed to install better lighting in there.)

Emmy looked relieved to be outside. "Where did Claudia go, Luke?"

They took the road up to the park, solving puzzles as they went. They received some fish bones from Agatha and a rant from Pauly about 'strangers' invading St Mystere. (Hopefully, he just meant Don Paolo.)

Claudia was grooming herself in front of the park gate. A slender figure with an oversized orange head shawl was petting her.

Luke had to restrain himself from calling her name.

"Hello," Emmy hollered. "Please can you grab that cat for us? She belongs to Lady Dahlia."

Flora gasped and straightened up as they approached.

"Hi," Luke said gently. He smiled as Claudia head-butted Flora's leg. "Wow, Claudia really likes you…"

Flora looked him up and down. She pressed her lips together and nodded.

"Do you have any puzzles for us?" Arianna wondered.

She shook her head so much that her shawl almost slipped off. "N-not today."

Luke tried, "What's your name?"

"I'd… rather not say."

Luke had lashed out at her the first time he'd heard that. Maybe he was suspicious because everyone else in the village had seemed so chatty. Maybe he still wasn't over Emmy and Sycamore.

But this was a different timeline. Emmy was on his side. Sycamore was nowhere to be found. Luke had no reason to doubt Flora.

"That's okay. I'm Luke. This is Emmy and Arianna. We're here with my parents."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Are you siblings?"

"Nope," Emmy replied. "Why does everyone assume that?"

"I- I'm sorry…" Flora started to back away.

"It's an easy mistake," Luke insisted, lifting his hands up.

"H-how many of you are there?"

"Five – "

She froze like a fawn caught in the headlights. Claudia hissed. Was someone behind them? Luke whipped his head around, praying it was only Don Paolo. He heard a door slam down the street.

"Hold on!" Arianna shouted, but Flora had already wrenched the gate open. She ran into the park.

"Let her go," Luke said. He offered the fish bones to Claudia and scooped her up.

"What spooked her?" Emmy said.

"I'm not sure, but we should get back to the puzzle shack."

On their way back, they searched the street for the person who had scared Flora, even ducking into Crouton's restaurant, but there was no sign of an intruder.

However, there was a new face waiting for them at the puzzle shack: A young Puzzlette. Granny Riddleton said this was the reason for her absence earlier – she had gone to book a room for her granddaughter at the inn.

"Hi," Puzzlette chirped to Luke. "Granny's told me all about you and your adorable family! Oh…?" She gazed round at Luke, Emmy and Arianna. "Where's your big brother?"


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Sorry sorry sorry! He just looked so lost standing outside the village! He said his family were already here and he was worried about them– especially his little brother. I told Franco he had to let him in! It was a dumb mistake! I'm really, really sorry…"

Clive was loose somewhere in St. Mystere. Puzzlette's endless apologies weren't helping at all. Luke wished she could have stayed with Granny Riddleton, but the latter had gone to alert Bruno of their intruder.

She had cackled when Layton offered to accompany her ("That pretty reporter isn't after little ol' me!") and asked them to find Don Paolo in the amusement park after escorting Puzzlette to the inn. Meanwhile, Emmy, Arianna and Melina had gone to Reinhold Manor with Claudia. They would warn Lady Dahlia about Clive and most likely learn of Simon's 'murder'. Would it even be classed as a murder if Don Paolo wasn't there posing as Chelmey? Maybe Clive would become a suspect…

Before leaving the Puzzle Shack, Luke had made it immensely clear that no one was allowed to say 'Professor' or 'Layton'. As far as Clive was aware (Luke hoped), the professor was still dead and Clark Triton was here, with them.

It seemed Brenda's 'charms' hadn't been enough to bring Clark back. Luke would ask her about it later, after they had dealt with Clive.

His mind was calmed slightly when Sissel insisted on coming with him. At the very least, if Clive did attack, they would have a lifeline.

Sissel sniffed the air as they approached the drawbridge. "There's definitely a stranger in St. Mystere. One who stinks of ink and deceit…"

"That's him alright," Luke muttered.

He asked Franco to lower the bridge so his 'parents' could grab their luggage from the Looshamobile. Franco grudgingly agreed. He was more than willing to moan about the fishy young man who had entered the village earlier. This set Puzzlette off on another round of apologies. Luke rolled his eyes and told Franco not to let anyone leave the village on any circumstances.

"I like your way of thinkin', kid! Here, you can have this doodad I picked up."

"Do we really need anything else to carry?" Brenda groaned at the sight of strange gizmo. Luke shrugged, pocketed the gizmo and helped them haul their suitcases to the inn. (He would have enlisted Emmy's aid, if she didn't have to defend Arianna and Melina.)

Beatrice, the innkeeper, bustled towards them as they staggered inside and she took half of their suitcases. Thankfully, she wasn't remodelling at this present time. She offered them a family room with a single and a double bed–

"A-actually," Layton said, "there are five of us all together. Please may we rent two rooms?"

Brenda nodded. "I'll stay with Arianna and Emmy. You can stay with Luke."

"It's better if there's an adult in each room," Luke explained, "because there's an intruder in the village."

"Oh my stars!" Beatrice gasped, glancing at Puzzlette. "Will you be alright in your room, poppet?"

Puzzlette gave her a small smile. "No need to worry– Granny will be with me. We're having a sleepover with facemasks and chocolate and puzzles… And we'll watch out for any newbies at the inn!" (Clive would be sleeping on the streets tonight.)

Beatrice helped take their luggage up to their rooms.

Layton shook his head as Luke opened his case. "Now may not be the right time to unpack–"

Luke handed him the metal pipe. "Just to be safe."

"This man…" Brenda whispered. "How dangerous is he?"

Luke made sure the window and the door were closed before admitting, "The most dangerous we ever faced. H-he destroyed half of London…"

If Clive was here, did that mean his plans had been put on hold? It was unlikely that Future London or the Mobile Fortress were complete. (Neither had appeared complete in the original timeline.) August was still several months away...

If they caught Clive now, London would be saved, provided none of his lackeys set off the Mobile Fortress. In that scenario, Luke could infiltrate Future London, shut down the fortress and free the scientists and citizens trapped underground.

All of Clive's victims– thousands of lives– would be spared. Alfendi's family could survive…

Only to be lost when Luke reset everything. That… that was the way it had to be, wasn't it? Cheating death on such a large scale would spell disaster. Claire had warned them about this.

The silence of the room was broken by a meow from Sissel. "Let's get moving."

He weaved between Luke's legs as they went out, coaxing a smile from Luke.

Before they left, Puzzlette promised she would wait at the inn for Emmy, Melina and Arianna.

Luke knew the park's gate would be open since Flora had gotten in earlier. Still, he suggested they should search the sewers 'for the caretaker'. The sewers were so filthy that Sissel complained he couldn't smell Clive. The only person they encountered was Pavel, anyway. Interpreting his unique language, Brenda asked him to keep surveillance of the sewer.

With that, they went to investigate the amusement park. Luke made sure to collect any clues relating to Flora, such as the poster from the bulletin board.

"Oh!" Brenda peered at the poster. "Isn't that the Baron's daughter– little Flora?"

"It would seem he built this amusement park for her enjoyment," Layton inferred.

Luke rolled up the poster and looked around. Was Flora still here? Hopefully, she wouldn't cross paths with Clive.

Was Clive after the Golden Apple– the baron's treasure– to fund his pet project even further? Or was he aware of the robots and seeking spare parts?

Luke checked, "Sissel, can you smell anything?"

Sissel sniffed. "He hasn't stepped foot inside the park."

"Good."

They passed the abandoned orange and yellow tent. Brenda peeked inside. "Paul? Are you in there?"

Layton observed, "It looks like an old circus– awful places for animals."

"Oh! Clark!" Sissel pawed at Luke's leg. "That was your dad speaking!"

Brenda already knew from his tone of voice. She edged towards him, gazing into his eyes. She whispered something Luke didn't catch. Luke glanced away as she kissed him.

"What are you lot doing here?" Don Paolo had appeared from the direction of the Ferris wheel. His horn-like hair was sticking out from under a purple cap. A large spanner was slung across his shoulder. Other than that, he didn't appear any different from when they had last met– not even a scratch from the explosion.

His parents gasped and broke apart.

"P-Paul! Please excuse us!" From the panic in his voice, Luke guessed the professor was speaking again. Brenda's gaze was downcast.

"Granny Riddleton sent us to find you," Luke explained rapidly. "There's an intruder in the village."

"Intruder, huh?" Don Paolo's eyes darted to Layton. He scowled. "What sort of intruder?"

"He might be after St. Mystere's secrets," Sissel answered.

Don Paolo gave a start as the cat spoke and began to stride away. "I told Bruno we should've added a defense system... Are you ninnies coming or not?"

They would have to come back later for the tower key. Luke caught up with him, wondering, "W-what kind of defenses did you have in mind?" (They could chase Clive out of town with the Ferris Wheel!)

"Putting sharks in the moat– like the ones that masked moron used– arming the villagers with weapons, installing a lock-down system in the tower..."

"Is there something valuable in the tower?" Layton mused, putting a hand to his chin.

Don Paolo turned to him again. Layton dropped his hand.

Luke intervened, "Did you see a strange girl in the park earlier?"

"No. She was gone by the time I got here."

They passed the drawbridge on their way to the inn, where Don Paolo apparently had his own room in the attic. Don Paolo discussed his plans for the moat with a disgruntled Franco.

"You found him!" Puzzlette cheered as they entered the inn. She smiled at each of them. "Aww, you're all friends again!"

"I wouldn't go that far," Don Paolo scoffed.

"We're more like acquaintances at best," Brenda muttered.

"But that's better than being rivals, right?"

"Rivals?" Don Paolo seethed.

Puzzlette either missed or ignored Luke's 'Shut up!' gestures. "Didn't you tell him–?"

"I knew there was something fishy about you!" Shaking, Don Paolo stabbed his spanner at the professor. He bellowed, "LAYTON!"

Layton gasped and ducked. The spanner narrowly missed his head. "W-what is the meaning of this–?"

"Did you think I wouldn't recognize you?" He swung the spanner again.

Layton parried it with his pipe and leapt behind the front desk.

"Sorry!" Puzzlette squealed. Brenda herded her upstairs– out of the way.

"Stop!" Luke cried. He put himself in front of the desk, much to Layton's protests. "You're going to hurt my dad!"

He raised his forearms, ready to block the spanner, but Don Paolo threw him aside.

"I'm not falling for that! I know what that masked moron did to him!"

"Which is why you could hurt my dad as well," Luke hissed, glancing at the door. Wouldn't it be brilliant if Clive burst in next?

"I'll knock Layton out of his head! He'll thank me later!"

Don Paolo stepped towards him. Sissel jumped on the desk, bristling.

"Back off."

With a growl, Don Paolo recoiled, spanner still raised above his head.

Brenda thundered back downstairs. "Paul, if you've harmed him, I swear–"

"H-he took away your husband, just like he took Claire away from me!"

"Quiet," Brenda snapped. Luke stared at her, panting. She closed her eyes for a moment. Hoarsely, she said, "You can't blame him for Descole's crimes or Claire's death. It won't bring her back. But there is a chance Clark will come back– if you would kindly stop trying to hit Hershel–"

The spanner clattered to the floor. Emmy had crept up behind Don Paolo and caught him around the neck.

"What's going on here?" Emmy growled. Melina and Arianna peeked out from behind her.

Once the spanner had been confiscated and everyone had calmed down, Luke explained the situation. Arianna then informed them of Gordon's 'death' at the manor and showed them the small gear Matthew had found.

"Gordon?" Luke said. (Why couldn't it be Simon?)

"He just collapsed two hours ago."

Don Paolo huffed, "He must have broken down. I'll swing by the manor and pick up his body." He grabbed his spanner and shuffled to the door, though he stopped in front of Melina. "Sorry for the scare back there," he mumbled. "Lost my temper."

She shook her head at him and sighed wearily.

After he had left, Arianna let out a cough. "He reeks of smoke!"

"I'm used to it," Sissel said, grooming himself.

Luke showed Arianna, Emmy and Melina up to their rooms. Emmy dumped some more strange gizmos on her bedside table.

"Since you heard Don Paolo shouting, the chances are Clive did too," Luke said. He must have known about the professor now, if he hadn't already. "It's even more urgent that we find him."

"Why don't we search for both him and Ramon?" Melina suggested. "Lady Dahlia was worried about him because he'd disappeared from the manor." Ramon probably wasn't the only one she was worried about... If they bumped into Flora outside the tower, they would warn her about Clive.

"Let's try the north side of the village," Luke said.

Deke deemed that they had solved plenty of puzzles and allowed them to pass through the clock tower. When asked if anyone else had gone through, he gave them an open-mouthed stare. Eventually, he replied, "No one besides that old fortune teller!" That could mean either Granny Riddleton or Agatha.

"Thanks," Luke said drily. Surely, little Lucy would be more helpful…

Or maybe not. They found her crying over a mouse killed by an alley cat. Luke couldn't blame her. He teared up slightly, imagining Toppy in the mouse's place.

Lucy sobbed even more when she spotted Sissel. "G-go away, cruel cat! Your friend hurt him enough already!"

Melina pulled Lucy against her chest, turning her away from the poor mouse.

"Sissel," Luke gasped as Sissel prowled towards the mouse. He wouldn't dream of eating the poor thing, would he? He wasn't like other cats, but he was still a cat–

He placed his paw on the mouse's body. Luke heard gears churning– not from the clock tower. Emmy seemed to notice it too. She and Luke blinked as the mouse tottered to its feet.

Melina also appeared confused, but she quickly told Lucy, "Look, Lucy! He was just sleeping!"

"Really?" Emmy muttered. "It looked pretty dead to me-"

Snivelling, Lucy took a glimpse at the mouse. She rubbed eyes as the mouse ran down the alley. "H-he's okay?" Sissel mewled at her and she beamed. "You didn't chase him– you're a good cat!"

As soon as she brightened up, Lucy talked about how Ramon was best buddies with Jarvis, who was known for lazing about on the steps up north. Melina thanked her and warned her not to wander too far from her house. Lucy handed her a strange gizmo before she skipped inside, calling for her grandfather.

"She reminds me a bit of Wren," Arianna said as the seven of them squeezed through the alley.

"Maybe it's the hair?" Luke hummed. "How are Wren and the rest of the ravens doing?"

"Business is booming, apparently. They've got two bases now – the market and the tent by the plaza. Tony has been helping them out here and there…" She sighed. "I hope they're taking care of him."

"He'll be fine. I bet he's giving Janice a tour with Aldus."

"Janice?" Melina exclaimed. "How is she...?" They came to the fork in the road, where a couple of villagers were loitering outside Crumm's Café. Blushing, Melina stammered, "N-never mind right now…"

Luke patted her on the arm. "She's with friends," he said quietly. He studied the two paths – three if you included the café. "I hate to say it, but we should split up again." He'd prefer questioning all of the villagers in one place to being sent on a wild goose chase.

Layton and Melina took the left path. Brenda and Arianna knocked on the café's door. Luke, Emmy and Sissel went right.

They started with Agatha, who gave them a puzzle and proclaimed there was no way to alter their fates. Luke shuddered and checked if Sissel could smell anything.

"Not a whiff of Clive," Sissel assured him.

Emmy peered at Sissel as they moved up the northern path. Sissel peered up at her. "It was you, wasn't it?" she whispered. Sissel tilted his head to the side. "Didn't you save me? In the jungle–" She was cut off as Gerard (Or was it Gerald?) approached them, prattling about his lost coin.

After they had solved his puzzle and received another gizmo, Luke nipped into Proscuitto's house. His stomach grumbled at the sight of Proscuitto's double decker sandwich. (They would have to stop for lunch at the café soon.)

"What d'you want?" Proscuitto chomped.

"H-have you seen any strange people around town?"

He described seeing two 'kidnappers' at night: An old geezer and a guy with devil horns. When they left him to his lunch, Luke discovered that Sissel had swiped a slice of chicken from his table.

"You could have grabbed something for us while you were there," Emmy grumbled.

They trudged up to the top of the hill, where Jarvis was sitting. Of course, he hadn't seen Ramon, but he ruminated about the disappearing villagers.

"Let's hope the others have had more luck than us," Emmy said. Luke shrugged. Tedious as it might seem, this was all pivotal information required to unlock St. Mystere's secrets – 'proof' that they were worthy of the Golden Apple.

They looped around to the market, but they didn't meet Layton and Melina. Emmy wondered where they could be. Either they had headed back to the café or taken the road to the tower. Luke decided they should check up the road.

They were horrified to find Melina, lying lifeless in their path.

"Melina!"

Sissel cringed. "It smells of ink!"

Clive had been here, and he had taken the professor with him.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Luke raced to the tower. Emmy was right behind him, carrying Melina. Sissel had confirmed she was unconscious – that she was still with them – before running off to fetch Brenda and Arianna, and to catch Clive's scent along the way.

Clive wouldn't hurt the professor. Not after his 'savior' had returned from the grave. Luke was more concerned that his dad would suddenly regain consciousness. Every minute they wasted, he could be left confused and alone with Clive.

But Luke wouldn't let Melina die again.

"Help!" he shouted as they reached the seemingly dead end. He pounded on the wall and poked his eye through the keyhole. (Why hadn't he grabbed the tower key when he had the chance?)

"Is anyone in there? It's Elena – she's hurt!"

Emmy shifted Melina in her arms. "Luke, how is this – oh, it's you!"

Luke turned to see Flora peeking out at them from behind a corner. "Can you help us?" he called. "Our friend was attacked."

"A-attacked?" She edged towards them. She placed her hand on Melina's head, then on her heart. Her eyes burned with fear and (much to Luke's surprise) fury. Flora nodded.

She looked at the wall, pulled out her own key and turned it in the keyhole.

Emmy whistled as the wall split open. Flora led them up to the tower and knocked on the door.

"Bruno, I'm here with two, um, guests and Elena. They said she's been attacked!"

"By the intruder?" Bruno barreled outside and tried to take Melina from Emmy.

"Who are _you?"_

"We can trust him," Flora assured her. "He's the... caretaker here."

Emmy allowed him to lug Melina into the tower. "Just be careful. She's not a toy!"

"You've got that right," Bruno grunted.

Thankfully, the floor didn't fall out from beneath them as they followed Bruno inside.

"Can you fix her up?" Luke asked frantically.

Bruno caught his pun. "So, you've worked it out, eh? Riddleton was right – you're a sharp one." He winked at Flora, who looked like she wanted to recede into her scarf. She hurried ahead of Luke as they descended to the cellar.

Emmy cringed at the cobwebs infesting the stairway. "I assume this is the tower everyone was warning us about?"

"Mmhmm." Bruno sat Melina on a stool. He brushed his diary aside so her arms and head could rest against the table. From Luke's angle, she resembled a student who had fallen asleep as her desk. With a hum, Bruno examined her head. "I'll need – "

Quick as a flash, Flora passed him a key from the wall of keys and villagers' pictures. He thanked her before unlocking a hatch on Melina's back.

"What's wrong with her?" Flora whispered.

Bruno clicked his tongue. "No signs of trauma to her head or back... It seems she just broke down. She's a new model – might have overworked herself."

"She did seem tired earlier," Emmy chipped in.

Luke checked, "So Clive _didn't_ attack her?"

"Nope. I'll have her up and running in just a jiffy..." He moved Melina and the stool over to an orange fridge with antenna. (Luke didn't know how else to describe it.) He opened the fridge, pulled out two jumper cables and clipped them into Melina's back.

Flora tutted. "I wish you would wear the glove I made – "

"No time. Cover your ears and close your eyes," he instructed. " _All_ of you."

There was a huff from Emmy.

Bruno must have flicked a switch, because light flashed behind Luke's eyes. Even with his hands clamped over his ears, he could feel the rumbling through the tower. He eased one eye open when the light faded.

Bruno had removed the cables. He was shining a torch into Melina's pupils.

"Testing, testing... Elena? Do you respond?"

A robotic voice responded, "System rebooting." Bruno shut the hatch on her back when they heard cogs whirring. Melina blinked, gasped and almost fell off the stool. Emmy and Bruno rushed to support her.

"How are you feeling?" Flora asked.

Melina stood up so Bruno could inspect her arms and legs. "I – I felt so ill all of a sudden... like the ground gave way beneath my feet. I thought I could reach the tower before I passed out..." Her eyes widened at Emmy and Luke. "That's right! I was looking for you two! Clive found the – Clark and I. He said he was a reporter and threatened – "

"A _reporter?_ " Bruno seethed. "In St. Mystere?"

Emmy said, "Didn't Granny Riddleton tell you?"

"She conveniently forgot to mention that _you_ led him here!"

"Puzzlette's the one who let him in," Luke retorted.

Flora's voice cut across their argument. _"People_ make mistakes!" She frowned at the three of them. "If you're finished, we need find this reporter and Mr. Triton. Do you have any idea where they went, Elena?"

Melina didn't even correct her name. She recalled how they had encountered Clive at the market. He had threatened to reveal 'Clark's' secret to the world unless he went with Clive.

"The only way they can leave St. Mystere is through the drawbridge," Flora said. "And there are few places to hide without the villagers spotting them."

"Like underground," Luke breathed. Pavel already had the sewers covered. Lady Viola's tomb was always locked by Matthew. That left one location...

They convinced Melina to stay behind in case she malfunctioned again. However, there was no changing Flora's mind.

"This village is my home. I won't sit by and let it be exposed." In her gaze, Luke saw his need to save Misthallery and his family. He was about to agree with her, when Sissel bounded down the stairs with Brenda and Arianna.

"Luke – "

 _"Elena!"_ Don Paolo barged past Brenda. He grabbed Melina's hands, as clumsy as Frankenstein's monster meeting his bride. "What did that creep do to you? Where is he?"

"We might know where he is," Luke said, looking at Sissel. "Do you still have his scent?"

The eight of them stormed to the amusement park. Emmy led the charge, faster than a runaway Ferris wheel. Sissel was a black blur beside her. Don Paolo matched their pace, though he was a wielding a heavy mallet. Arianna didn't stop even when her lungs started heaving. Luke and Brenda pulled her along, both praying for Clark and the professor to hold on. Bruno and Flora rallied the villagers as they ran.

"Surround the park, all of you!"

"But don't come in unless we say so – he has Mr. Triton hostage!"

The villagers besieged the park wall, peering over at their brave Golden Apple.

Flora gasped when they saw Puzzlette flittering around the lakeshore. "You need to leave!"

While she tried to move Puzzlette along, Luke gazed at the little shed on the water. Wait – why was the lock still on the gate?

"Clive _has_ to be here," he hissed to Sissel. "Isn't he?"

Sissel swiped at his nose with his paw. "All I can smell is the sewer pipes again!"

Luke heard Puzzlette hiccup, "I'm s-sorry! I wanted to help Mr. Triton, but I was too scared – "

Bruno shushed her. "Keep it _down._ What happened to Mr. Triton?"

Puzzlette pointed at the shed. "Tha…that guy who's not Luke's brother took him in there."

Don Paolo made a face. "You mean he got past the lock and put it back on the gate?" She nodded, sniffling. "Crafty," Don Paolo hummed, "but not crafty enough." He lifted his mallet and marched towards the shed. "Allow me – "

" _Or_ I could just use the key." Bruno strolled across the boardwalk, nearly knocking him into the lake. "It won't give us away so easily."

As soon as the gate was open, Don Paolo slunk into the shed, grumbling about having to save his archenemy. (Flora didn't seem to hear him, as she was still urging Puzzlette to leave.) Emmy went next. Luke, Arianna and Flora were herded into the middle for their own safety. Bringing up the rear were Brenda and Bruno.

It was so dark beneath the shed that Luke could barely see Sissel at his feet. The cat kept close to him for warmth, until he suddenly perked up.

"Did you hear that?"

The echo of their footsteps, dripping water, creaking pipes…

Clive's voice.

Emmy poked her head around the corner of the underground path. She signaled for them to follow her _quietly –_

Don Paolo dashed round the corner. "Come on out! We've got you outnumbered and surrounded!"

 _"Paul?"_ the professor called.

Well, there went the element of surprise. The others chased after Don Paolo. His mallet was held aloft, ready to strike down the door. "Here's _Donny – !"_

"Wait," Layton shouted. "I'm alright! He isn't armed – "

The door opened. Don Paolo halted the mallet inches from Clive's face. Unperturbed, Clive opened the door wider and revealed Layton, standing on the other side of the room.

"Get away from him," Emmy snarled. Clive lifted his hands and backed up against a wall. Emmy slammed into him anyway. She whipped off her belt and used it to buckle his arms behind his back. (They weren't taking any chances this time.) When she was satisfied with Clive's restraints, she let everyone rush into the room.

"You promise he didn't hurt you?" Luke said, hugging the professor in a lightly. "You're not just saying that?"

"Of course not," the professor sighed. "I wouldn't lie when I'm in – "

He was shocked when Brenda hugged him as well. "What did he want with you?" she murmured.

"Melina said he threatened you," Luke growled, turning to glare at Clive.

Clive shrugged – an awkward cagey movement without his arms. "I just wanted a private chat with the professor."

Bruno narrowed his eyes at the professor. "I thought you were a _doctor…?"_

"Whoops," Clive gasped. "See how easily the truth slips out?"

 _"Shut it!"_ Emmy tightened the belt buckle until he winced.

"What does he mean by that?" Bruno demanded.

Flora looked at Luke pleadingly. "Can we… trust all of you?"

Luke sighed. At least she wouldn't be mistaken about his parents this time. "The memories of my friend, Professor Layton, are inhabiting my dad's mind."

To Flora's credit, she didn't appear _that_ unnerved. Lady Dahlia's memories had been altered… and not to mention, Flora lived in a village of robots.

"Forgive me," Layton said, "but who might you be, Miss?"

Arianna regarded her. "That's right. You never told us your name – "

"There's a more pressing issue at hand, don't you think?" Clive ground out. Emmy reached for the belt, but Layton raised his hand.

"Let him speak."

 _"Thank you,_ Professor." Clive gazed around the circle, lingering on Luke. "The professor told me that Mr. Triton's personality is gradually returning. Soon, the professor will cease to exist – "

"You don't know _anything,"_ Luke cried. He met Sissel's eyes, willing him to confirm that the professor was alive and he was _here,_ even if he didn't have a core. 

"I didn't when I first arrived at the village," Clive admitted. "I wasn't even aware of the professor's… presence."

Arianna stepped towards Clive, taking his attention off Luke. "Then why did you follow us? We saw you in Gressenheller, Misthallery and on the beach!"

"Honestly, I hoped Jean Descole would make an appearance. Your family has a habit of foiling his plots. It's my job to turn those plots into plotlines, as a reporter."

"But there's more to it than that, isn't there?" Layton said, gesturing to Clive. "Earlier, you asked if I remembered saving you when you were a child..."

Clive sighed. For once, he sounded genuinely regretful. "I'm almost embarrassed to say how much I idolized you from that moment onwards. I followed your career and your work with the police, occasionally writing articles about you... Imagine my dismay when I learned you had been killed as a result of Descole's actions."

Luke stated, "You want revenge." That and probably some tips on building a giant robot.

"I prefer to think of it as justice for the professor – "

"Whatever! Descole isn't here. All you've done is stalk us and kidnap the professor!"

"And terrify the residents of St. Mystere," Bruno added. Flora nodded.

"On the contrary, I've given the professor a wonderful proposition." Clive smiled at Layton, shady as a conman.

"What does he mean?" Brenda asked Layton.

Clive answered, "It means your husband can come back, free of guilt, and the professor's memories can be saved. Literally."

"How?" Don Paolo snorted. "The Detragon was destroyed by yours truly."

Clive hummed. "Descole's knowledge would be useful, but not essential. Believe it or not, I already know someone who has created a prototype memory-scanner. It has the capacity to record memories, but it's not able to transfer them as the Detragon did."

It was true – Dimitri had constructed a memory-scanner. His dad could be free and the professor could be saved. The professor could be saved.

Of course, there was a catch. (There alwayswas with Clive.) He highly doubted Dimitri would just _give_ them the memory-scanner. Plus, Layton's memories would be stuck until they were transferred to a robot host. That would require Descole's cooperation and Clive's. Out of the two of them, Luke would rather trust Descole.

"Funny how your friend just _happens_ to have a memory-scanner," Emmy drawled.

"Dimitri Allen is an unknown yet brilliant mind from the Institute of Polydimensional Physics. Surely, you remember him, Professor?"

"That name sounds familiar…" Layton shook his head. "But I don't remember meeting him."

"Wasn't he Claire's friend?" Brenda exclaimed.

"Friend... Colleague... Suitor..." Clive listed. (Don Paolo tapped the head of the mallet in his hand.) "Whatever you want to call it, he was devastated when Claire died. He would do _anything_ to bring her back..."

Brenda filled in the blanks. "Then he heard about the Detragon."

Clive nodded. "With the professor's help, we can perfect the memory transferal process." He stared at the professor. "And you can stay."

"I won't ruin _anothe_ r person's life," Layton said.

"We'll overcome that hurdle when we reach it," Clive dismissed. He looked from Layton to the others. "So, what do you say?"

Luke turned his back on Clive and mouthed, "We need to talk."

Emmy nodded and tossed Clive to Don Paolo.

"Why do _I_ have to watch him?"

"Because you don't want the professor to stick around."

She swept out of the room. Luke, Brenda, Layton, Sissel, Flora and Bruno followed suit. The latter locked the door behind them.

"We can't trust Clive," Luke hissed, "and we shouldn't even know his name." (Flora and Bruno were even more confused.)

"So let's have him arrested," Emmy suggested. "The police will question him and get in contact with this Dimitri."

Layton rubbed his temples. "He has no qualms about revealing my identity. I fear it would hinder Clark's return if he made a public announcement."

"Do you really think people would believe him?" Arianna wondered.

"The police know about Melina," Luke pointed out. So did Targent, if Bloom had told them.

"Why can't we just lock him in that room," Sissel proposed, "forever?"

"We are _not_ leaving him in St. Mystere."

"Oh, please, _no,"_ Flora said.

Brenda had been contemplating the past few moments. She frowned at Layton. "If you did... cease to exist, Clark would never forgive himself."

"I can't keep using Clark like this," Layton said.

"Then we'll just have to use Clive," Luke asserted. The others blinked at him. "He can take us to Dimitri and we'll steal the memory-scanner." He turned Bruno. "By the time we bring it back here, could you build a robot body for the professor?"

Bruno grunted. "Maybe with Don's help... But this is the _last_ time. Do you hear me? I can't keep fixing the dead."

"Never stopped me," Sissel snipped.

"The last robot built in St. Mystere," Flora mumbled. She promised Luke, "I'll keep your secret, if you'll keep mine."

"Don't worry," Luke chuckled. "I know all about secrets."

Flora giggled. She gasped when her neck started to glow. In the dark, her golden birthmark was visible through her scarf. She fiddled with the scarf, trying to hide the spot of light, but she froze when Emmy commented, "That's a useful trick."

"Magic...?" Arianna breathed.

Flora shook her head. "I'll explain when we get back to the manor."

Lady Dalia was less than pleased when the 'intruder' was dumped in her parlor thirty minutes later.

"Just what do you plan to do with him now?"

"The plan is to take him back to London," Emmy explained. "But as we don't have enough space in our car, we'll need to contact a friend. Bruno said there should be a phone here?"

 _"Bruno?"_ Dahlia repeated.

"At your service."

Bruno trooped into the parlor, timidly followed by Flora. She was the other reason why they would need a second car.

"Oh..." Lady Dahlia breathed softly. She passed Claudia to Matthew and placed her hands on Flora's shoulders. Flora stiffened slightly.

"My darling, I couldn't be happier with your decision." Dahlia beamed from Flora to Luke. "By saving our home, Luke has proved himself beyond a shadow of a doubt. He will protect you from this day forward, for better or for worse..."

Simon raised his glass of wine. "For richer and for poorer..."

Gordon concurred with a cough, "In sickness and in health – "

"Are those _wedding vows?"_ Luke yelped. "Please tell me it's some kind of puzzle!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Dahlia replied, frowning. "They're your _future_ wedding vows."

Flora winced to Luke. Dahlia gazed at the blank faces of Luke and his family. When she reached Bruno, she snapped, "Didn't you tell them? I thought we'd discussed this!"

"My job was just to guide them to the Golden Apple. _You're_ he one who wants to organize a wedding."

"W-wedding?" Brenda stammered.

"We'll cover the costs," Gordon hollered as Dahlia started ranting at Bruno.

"This was what Augustus wanted – for us to find someone who could cherish Flora and grow old with her! To become her betrothed!"

 _"Betrothed?"_ Clive shook with laughter. Emmy thumped him on the back of the head.

Layton attempted to diffuse the disagreement. "While I'm sure Luke is flattered by such an opportunity, he is only ten years old – "

"And Flora's twelve," Bruno added.

"Of course we can't expect them to be married _right now,"_ Dahlia reasoned. "But when they have grown inseparable, years down the line, they will feel ready to settle down."

"I'm sorry, Lady Dahlia, but I don't think that's going to happen."

Her eyes widened at Luke. "What? Are you suggesting Flora isn't a good match for you?"

"It's not that..."

Earlier today, he wouldn't have believed he _had_ a future in this timeline. But now, there was hope for Professor Layton. He looked from the professor, to his mum, to Emmy and to Arianna, who bowed her head. He wanted Flora to be part of his family, but not as his potential _wife!_

Dahlia noticed how his gaze settled on Arianna. "I think I understand..."

"No, you don't," Flora sighed. Dahlia's mouth dropped open. "I'm not leaving with them just so they can protect me from the outside world. I... I want to meet new people, go to school, see London and maybe travel further than that one day. I want to – to learn and... make you all p-proud – " She broke off as Dahlia smoothed back her hair.

"I'm already proud."

"Too proud," Simon coughed.

Dahlia turned her back on him as she embraced Flora. This time, Flora eased into her touch. Simon did a gagging impression.

"I agree," Clive drawled. He turned to Emmy. "Are you going to call your friend or what?"

"The telephone is right this way!" Matthew pattered out of the room with Emmy. (Dahlia didn't realize he still had Claudia with him.)

Bruno took over Clive-sitting duty. Clive seemed content to sit and wait as long as Layton was in the room anyway.

As Flora caught up with her robot relatives, Luke edged over to his parents and Arianna.

"Do you think Flora will be able to cope with your adventures?" Brenda said in an undertone.

"I think so," Luke said. "She's definitely excited to get out and about. She might just need to join Emmy's self-defense classes."

"We didn't get to try out any of our moves," Arianna said, pouting.

"Clive's right there if you want to practice on him."

Arianna elbowed Luke. He nudged her back, laughing with her.

"You're still too young to get married, Luke."

Luke blushed in disbelief. "Profess…!" That grin didn't belong to the professor. _"Dad?"_

Clark nodded and tapped his head. "Don't worry – Hershel is still here – "

Brenda caught him before he could disappear again. "Do you know about the plan?" she breathed into his neck.

"Bits of it. I'm sure Hershel will fill me in on the rest." He sighed tiredly. "I'm sorry... I can't..."

"Hold on," she begged, "just for a minute." She met his lips and Clark responded. His eyes went blank as she moved away, but then the professor was back. He touched his lips subconsciously. Brenda apologized. He shook his head. The awkwardness evaporated when Emmy stomped into the room.

"Problem with the phone?" Bruno guessed.

"No," Emmy huffed. "There's a problem at Scotland Yard. That stupid receptionist put me on hold! Matthew said he'd give me a shout when someone picks up – "

"Now, don't get your knickers in a twist!" Granny Riddleton paraded into the parlor like she owned the place. "We should be celebrating Flora's anti-betrothal."

"Thaaat's right! We bought games and cakes and music!"

In came Puzlette, Melina and Don Paolo, their arms stacked with party supplies. Melina chuckled when Luke stared at the violin she was carrying. "This isn't for you. Did you work things out with Lady Dahlia –?"

"Who invited all of you in?" Dahlia demanded.

"I did," Ingrid answered, coming in last. "And I wouldn't be surprised if we have more company soon. Everyone wants to say goodbye to Flora – Hello, dear!" Flora greeted her with a hug.

Emmy shrugged. "Might as well make the most of it while we're waiting." She dug into a cake.

"Oh! I know how we can pass the time!" Puzzlette held up a basket of gizmos – the ones they had collected around the village. "Let's put this puppy together!"

No one was more thrilled than Melina when they finished assembling the robot dog. Claudia was no so thrilled. The dog chased him around the room, barking. Sissel watched from his perch on the mantelpiece.

With all the commotion, they almost missed Matthew's shout.

"Finally!" Emmy ran out to the phone.

Luke patted the dog's head. "What should we call him?" His name had been 'Gizmo' in another life, but Luke wanted Melina to choose.

"Hm... How does _Wolfgang_ sound?"

"That's a scary name," Puzzlette whined. "Let's call him _Beebe_ instead!"

 _"Beethoven?"_ Melina tried. The dog licked her face.

Luke laughed. "I think he likes Beethoven better – "

Emmy dashed back into the parlor and pulled Brenda and Layton aside.

Arianna looked at Luke from the settee. She stood up, not even apologizing as Claudia jumped off her lap. The two of them approached Emmy, Brenda and Layton.

"There's been a disturbance – " he heard Emmy say.

Luke poked his head into their little huddle. "What's going on?"

Brenda nodded to Emmy. Emmy revealed, "Something's happened at the island of Ambrosia – "

"No! That's impossible," Luke protested.

" – And Janice is missing."


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

A police car screeched to a halt outside St Mystere. There was a chorus of "Ooooh!'s from the crowd who had come to see Flora off.

"Now _that's_ what I call a ride."

Emmy chucked the Looshamobile's keys to Brenda and pushed Clive towards the car. Clive had been freed from his restraints, but no way on Earth was he allowed in the same car as Flora.

Lady Dahlia had almost thrown a fit after hearing their friend had been pronounced missing. She was only appeased when Melina promised to watch out for Flora. Melina's main priority, however, was finding Janice.

Don Paolo wasn't pleased with her decision to leave the village. What if she broke down again? What if someone discovered she was a robot or, more worryingly, _Melina Whistler?_ They would still have to call her 'Elena' in public (and around Clive), but she wasn't concerned about needing repairs as long as Don Paolo and Flora were close by.

Sissel was also sticking with them. He claimed it was to escape Puzzlette's crushing hugs. Still, he let her and Granny Riddleton make a fuss of him before they set off. Luke wondered how long he had known the two of them. Was their meeting simply a result of the Temsik Meteorite? Sissel had mentioned living in a city...

What was his life like before all of this?

He wriggled his way out of Puzzlette's arms and bounded over to Luke.

Luke glanced down at his claws. "I hope Toppy will be okay with you staying at the house..."

Sissel flexed his paws. "Do you think he'll die of fright?"

"Toppy's too brave for that."

He, Tony and Doland had been the last ones to see Janice in Misthallery…

Luke picked up Sissel and traipsed over to the Looshamobile, passing the police car as he went. He did a double take when he realized Hannah was behind the wheel.

She stopped topping up her makeup in the mirror and smiled at him. Rolling down the window, she called, "Poor Grosky is hard at work at the yard, so I offered to collect you instead."

She raised an eyebrow at Clive, Melina, and Don Paolo. "Are these our extra passengers?"

"These are our... friends..." Emmy gave Clive a sharp glance.

He grinned. "Clive." (He wasn't even using an alias...?)

Don Paolo, disguised as a cowboy, booted Clive into the vehicle.

"Howdy. I'm Danny and this here's my wife, Elena."

Melina didn't disagree him. She begged Hannah, "Can you take us straight to Scotland Yard?"

Hannah responded by revving the engine. Emmy gave Luke a thumbs up before getting into the car with the others.

Following their lead, Luke entered the Looshamobile. Arianna was already sitting in the back – in the middle seat.

"I hope you don't mind," she said. "I thought I should talk to Flora and get to know her better..." She glanced at Flora, who was currently standing outside their car, watching Hannah drive away.

Luke took the window seat with Sissel curling up on his lap. "I'd like that," Luke said.

When Flora joined them, she breathed, "I can't remember if I've ever seen a police car before. We've never needed them here."

"There are lots of them in London," Arianna informed her. "That's where Scotland Yard is based."

"Scotland Yard..."

"The name is a bit misleading – it's not actually in Scotland."

"Oh, I know that!" Flora chuckled. "I always thought it was a silly name."

"Me too!"

"Is your family friends with the police?" Flora wondered as Brenda and Layton stuffed the last of their belongings into the trunk. (Beatrice was devastated that they couldn't even stay the night.)

Slowly, Luke nodded. "We... we've been involved in a few cases with Scotland Yard. Does that frighten you?"

Flora gazed out the window. Would she reconsider coming with them at the last minute? Luke wouldn't stop her, but he wouldn't ever stop missing her either. Arianna patted her shoulder and Flora gave a small start.

"...It does a little," she admitted eventually. "But moving to a huge city already makes me feel nervous – and excited."

Sissel chirruped. "No reason to be nervous as long as I'm here."

Maybe not in London, but what about Ambrosia? What if the 'disturbance' Grosky had described was the city's ascent from the sea? Janice could be on the island – _Anyone_ could be on the island! – and Sissel wouldn't be able to save them. Not this time.

What was taking his mum and the professor so long? A glance out the window revealed the cause of their delay: Lady Dahlia.

Arianna tutted. "Adults spend _forever_ talking."

Luke opened the car door and shouted, "Can we _go_ now?"

"Please, _do!"_ someone hollered from the crowd. Someone who sounded a lot like Simon.

Layton got into the car. "That was very impolite, Luke. A gentleman shouldn't make a scene in a public setting."

Right now, Luke couldn't tell whether it was his dad or the professor talking. "Sorry, but we really have to go!"

"Seatbelts first," Brenda said as she slipped into the driver's chair.

Luke buckled up. Sissel stared him up and down. "Don't you need one of those baby seats?"

"I'm way too big for that!"

"What are you two bickering about?" Arianna wondered.

"N-nothing!" Folding his arms, Luke pouted out the window. The still-standing tower did little to lighten his mood. Then, his gaze roved to the Ferris Wheel, and he realized Flora wouldn't spend the rest of her childhood here. She wouldn't feel so secluded in years to come.

He smiled when he heard her murmur, "Goodbye, my little village."

Even at the Looshamobile's top speed (a whopping _forty_ miles per hour) they didn't reach London until after eight o'clock. Flora had fallen asleep, in spite of her excitement. Brenda gently shook her awake. Flora's eyes widened at the Triton residence. Their house was bigger than the professor's flat had ever been, but it paled in comparison to Reinhold Manor.

Flora didn't complain, though. She hovered next to the trunk, eager to collect her luggage, but Layton said he would take care of it and ushered her inside.

"Who's… that?" Flora pointed at the ginger head slumped against the living room windowsill.

"Tony..." Arianna breathed.

"And Toppy," Luke said as a grey speck climbed onto Tony's head and waved at them.

Sissel sauntered down the street. "You can break the news to him while I scope out the neighborhood."

The front door opened and out crept Doland, finger on his lips. He couldn't stifle a gasp when Luke hugged him.

"We're alright, Master Luke," he sighed, patting Luke's back. "It's just been a... harrowing day, particularly for Master Tony. He refused to retire until your safe return."

Arianna's eyes glittered as they entered the warm light of the hall.

"You should get to bed, Doland," Brenda advised. Flora hid behind Luke and Arianna, though she was a head taller than them both.

Doland adjusted his glasses with a weary smile. He had become accustomed to welcoming guests at the Triton household.

"There will be time for explanations once we've all rested. But before that, I must help bring the luggage in."

It was pointless trying to change his mind. Instead, Brenda took Flora upstairs, telling her she could sleep in the study if she liked.

Luke padded into the living room with Arianna.

They saw Tony rubbing his eyes. "Arianna...?" he murmured. "You're back..."

Toppy leapt off his head and Luke lifted him up. If only it was that easy with Tony. He stumbled away from the windowsill. His sister caught him, struggling slightly under his weight. She shook her head when Luke offered to step in.

"We lost Janice," Tony sniveled, eyes welling up. "S-sorry – "

"Up to bed," Arianna said. "We'll talk about it tomorrow." Tony nodded against her shoulder.

Luke wasn't sure if she was strong enough to help him upstairs, or if Doland had even set up the extra beds. Luckily, Doland and the professor staggered into the hall at the same time as them. Doland put down his pile of suitcases, but a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Leave it to me." A soft command – unmistakably Clark. He relieved Arianna of Tony and carried him up to Luke's room. Arianna followed, stretching her arms. An odd ache filled Luke's throat as he watched them go.

"I'm surprised he didn't request my help sooner..." Doland collected the cases Clark had dropped. "...With the luggage, I mean."

Luke grabbed his own case, along with Flora's. "You know Dad – always thinking of others."

"Of course, but he usually prefers to complete tasks without much hassle."

"Maybe he's just tired..." Luke yawned loudly. "I am too. Well, better take these up and get to bed." He scrambled upstairs as quickly as he could with two suitcases. (How much had Flora _packed?_ ) "Night, Doland!"

"Goodnight, Master Luke."

His mum was closing the study door when she saw him. "Oh, I was just about to get Flora's things. Do you want to give them to her?"

He went in to find Flora admiring one of Clark's bookshelves.

"Will you be comfy enough in here?" Luke checked. He surveyed the room sheepishly. The green bedcovers, green rug and mahogany furniture really clashed with the plum-colored wallpaper. "We, um, haven't had a chance to do up the house since we moved in - "

Flora chuckled. "Your mo... I mean, mum, said the same thing. It's fine – thank you!" She took her suitcase, heaved it onto the bed and started to unpack, revealing a horde of books.

"You can put them here…"

She peered at some of the books Luke had pushed aside on a shelf. " _Principles of Geology_ … Are these yours?"

"My dad's, mainly," Luke explained, straightening up the books' spines.

"Oh, right! I just assumed… when you were reading that book about rocks in the car…"

"Adventure stories are my favorite." He pointed out _The Hobbit_ on a separate shelf. ( _The Lord of the Rings_ was Clark's precious, but Luke had never been able to complete the whole series.) "Things like that. But I am partial to the occasional adventure mystery."

"Sqee, squeak," Toppy added from his shoulder.

" _And_ animal stories, yes.""

"How about Sherlock Holmes...?" Flora held up a copy of _The Hound of the Baskervilles_. The cover was illustrated with Holmes and Watson, stood side by side, a beautiful damsel, a man wielding a butterfly net, and the dreaded hound itself.

"I'll have to read it sometime," Luke said, "but I probably shouldn't stay up too late tonight."

Flora's face fell. "I'm sorry..."

"For what?"

Glumly, she glanced down at the book, her thumb hiding the face of Holmes' hapless female companion.

"You're all stuck with me, when really you should be out looking for Janice."

Luke exclaimed, "It's not your fault! Mum doesn't want us wandering the streets when it's dark, anyway. We'll join Emmy and the others first thing tomorrow."

She nodded, tentatively determined. "I… I may not know my way around yet, but I'll try my best to help."

Even then, Luke had to suppress the urge to dissuade her. He said goodnight and nipped into the bathroom with his suitcase.

As he brushed his teeth, Toppy described what had happened earlier that day. He, Tony, Doland and Janice had arrived in Misthallery by the afternoon. Janice had received a tour (courtesy of Aldus) and Tony took her to meet Loosha in the Golden Garden. Loosha adored her singing, as Luke had expected, but then Janice sang something that made the crystals in the garden glow. Toppy quivered as he recalled the minor earthquake that had followed. (He'd thought the specter was back in town!) The next thing he knew, Tony and Doland were clamoring about an island on the news.

Luke spat out his toothpaste. "The Azran crystals – they're all connected!" How could he not see this coming? Janice must have reprised _A Song of the Sea_ , unaware of the effect she had on the island. Melina might have felt the disturbance earlier when she 'broke down' in St Mystere.

In the original timeline, even after Melina left her body, Janice's final performance had made _sparkling salt_ fall from the sky. A part of her – a part of Melina within her – was still linked to Ambrosia.

"What happened," Luke demanded, "after the earthquake?"

As far as Toppy knew, Janice said she was going to Naiya's house. Tony and Doland had rushed over to tell her the news about Amborisa, but Nadia claimed Janice had never turned up.

She couldn't have been kidnapped. _Someone_ in Misthallery would have noticed...

Then again, no one had investigated the specter until the professor arrived. No one except Luke's mum. Then Descole caught her.

Had Descole come back for Janice? Or was Targent to blame for her disappearance?

Luke frowned at himself in the mirror. This wasn't his fault. It _wasn't_. All he'd wanted was to cheer Janice up, but their enemies had discovered her connection to Ambrosia. They wouldn't harm her if they needed her, would they?

Toppy let out a squeak, half concerned and half impatient. Luke shooed him out of the bathroom so he could change into his pajamas.

When Luke emerged, Toppy bolted across the landing and clambered into his pocket, shrieking about a cat outside the window.

"Oh…" Luke sighed. "That's just Sissel. He'll be staying with us for a while – "

"SQUEE?"

"Shhhh! He isn't going to eat you. Just give him a chance, okay?"

Despite Toppy's outburst, Tony was still sleeping like a log in Luke's bed. Arianna was sitting next to him, with Sissel lying next to her. She must have let him in. Shrugging, Arianna whispered, "Sorry, we've all stolen your bed."

"Will you be okay sharing a bed with… with Sissel? He might molt…"

Sissel stretched his claws across the covers.

"One night won't hurt me."

Toppy, flat out refusing to sleep next to a 'feral' cat, flounced over to his nest on Luke's desk. "Goodnight, Mr. Moody Mouse," Luke grumbled. It was a bit of a squeeze, but he settled down with Arianna, Tony and Sissel.

Snuggling against his side, Sissel purred, "Don't worry. Mice are too small to hold a grudge for long. Dogs are too… happy." He was quiet for a moment. Luke thought he had fallen asleep until he hummed. "...And loud. I could hear some howling outside."

Luke's eyes were getting heavier. "Prob'ly just the… Twilight Bark..."

When the doorbell went the next morning, Luke shot out of bed and slid down the banister. He beat Doland to the front door.

"Emmy – !"

"Nice pajamas."

Clive was smirking behind Emmy.

Why had she brought him back to the house? Luke glared at Emmy, itching to ask what was going on.

"Are your parents up?" Emmy tromped inside. Clive invited himself in, wiped his shoes on the mat and looked around.

"They might be in the kitchen..." Luke scampered back upstairs. He knocked on Flora's door and poked his head inside when she didn't answer. She wasn't in the study. Maybe she had gotten up early to help with breakfast? An evil grin split Luke's face. He hoped Clive was hungry.

Arianna, Tony and Sissel had been roused by Luke's romp up and down the stairs. Luke warned them about Clive and Flora's cooking before they got dressed and trooped into the kitchen.

It was like walking in on breakfast with an outlaw. Clive, Emmy, Layton and Brenda were tensely assembled around the table. Doland was busy making tea with his back to them. Flora looked very hot and bothered – not just because she was standing beside the oven. She immediately brightened up when Luke, Arianna and Tony arrived.

"H-hi! Would you three like some scones?"

Luke didn't have the heart to turn her down. "Thank you!" Arianna took one out of courtesy. Tony complained he wasn't feeling well.

"It's probably all that worrying from yesterday," Doland consoled.

Tony's face tightened. "H-has there been any news on Janice?"

Emmy shook her head stiffly. "We spent the night searching for her with the police." Doland placed a mug in front of her and she downed the tea.

"All night...?" Brenda said.

A heavy shrug. "We got to a hotel at three in the morning. Sammy and Katia paid for us."

"They're back in London?" Luke exclaimed. Were Sammy's wolves howling last night while they searched the streets? Luke glanced at Sissel, who was playing with Clive's shoelace.

Clive sat up straight, resting his hands on the table. "May I remind everyone that we're on a very tight time limit?"

"Of course," Layton agreed. On the table was this morning's London Times, its front page bearing a photo of Janice. The professor picked up the paper. "We should make our way to Scotla – "

"You know that's not what I mean, Professor."

Luke narrowed his eyes at Clive. "We're not going anywhere with you until we find Janice."

"Oh, really?"

"W-what is he talking about?" Tony said.

"More scones, anyone?" Flora interrupted, tipping some scones from a baking tray onto a plate. Clive's gaze was glued to Tony.

"You seem a bit out of the loop. Didn't they tell you Professor Layton has been posing as Clark Triton?"

"WHAT?"

"That isn't going to work," Layton snapped as Arianna tried to reassure Tony. "There are bigger things at stake here than your petty threats…!Please, Clark, let me speak to him..."

"You can barely even do that now," Clive muttered.

Layton assembled a calm face and continued, "All we're asking is that you wait until Janice is home safely."

Clive's response was sickly-sweet. "Then she can reunite with Miss Whistler and move into the robot village."

There was a clatter as Flora dropped her tray. Clive stood up, his chair scraping across the floor. "You have the rest of the morning. At midday, I expect you three – " He pointed at the Tritons. " — To meet me on Midland Road in Baldwin. Alone – "

He ducked as a plate flew at him with the weight of a discus.

"Get out," Emmy growled.

Clive stepped, or rather, tripped away from the table. His shoe laces had been tied together. He scowled at Sissel, fixed his laces and strode to the doorway, where he paused. He sighed, "I'm doing this for your sake, Professor."

Another plate narrowly missed his head. Clive didn't so much as flinch. At long last, he left, slamming the front door behind him.

Emmy shot to her feet and picked up the shattered china, unperturbed by the sharp edges. "Sorry. He heard Don Paolo ranting last night."

"For a 'master of disguise', he does have a big mouth," Luke muttered.

Flora bent down to retrieve the baking tray. Luke knelt next to her.

"I promised we'd keep St. Mystere a secret. That won't change."

"St. Mystere…?" Doland repeated.

Luke glanced at Flora. "My village," she replied.

"A robot village…" Tony shot Arianna a betrayed pout. "That's where you went."

"We didn't want to keep you in the dark," Luke said, turning form him to Doland. "But it wasn't our secret to share."

"I understand…" Doland nodded to Layton. "And I already suspected something was amiss with Master Triton. I only held my peace because I was afraid we might have another imposter on our hands."

Layton raised his arms. "Your suspicions were not unfounded, but fear not, Clark is becoming more vocal."

 _Soon, the professor will cease to exist._

Luke sighed. For all of his nerve, Clive was right about that. Luke announced, "Let's get to Scotland Yard and find Janice before midday."

Arianna decided to stay at the house and sort things out with Tony. Brenda said she needed to unpack, though she definitely _wasn't_ babysitting them. Sissel wanted to patch things over with Toppy, but he promised Luke he would keep an ear out for them. Luke thought Layton should avoid the Yard, just in case Clive's tongue had slipped. So, the professor went to return the Looshamobile with Flora. They could keep an eye out for Janice and Flora could see more of London.

That left Luke, Emmy and Doland to visit Scotland Yard.

"Guess who was absent from the Yard last night?" Emmy hissed as Doland drove them there.

"My hearing isn't _completely_ gone," Doland reminded them.

"Sorry – force of habit."

Luke cleared his throat loudly. He removed his cap and scraped his hair back. "Were you talking about _I_ – the great Detective Bloom?"

Emmy laughed. "You're right on the money there."

"Has Hannah dished up any dirt on him?"

"She said she'd look into it and let us know today."

"I hope so," Luke sighed. He was sick of being manipulated by sly moles and dastardly doves. Parking was chaotic outside the Yard, so Doland stopped to let Luke and Emmy jump out of the car.

Dependable as ever, Hannah was waiting behind the trees surrounding the building. She reported that Bloom had attended a meeting last night at intelligence services headquarters. Luke and Emmy traded a glance.

"Are you _sure?"_ Emmy probed. "Did he meet with people wearing blue uniforms and black sunglasses?"

"No. I think I would remember such an ugly combination," Hannah huffed. "What business could he have with the intelligence services? Or is he trying to throw us off his trail? He's just too good – "

"Hannah, you're a genius," Luke crowed. "Grosky would be proud of your sleuthing skills. Come on, Emmy!"

Armed with their new intel, Luke and Emmy burst into Scotland Yard's reception. They located Barton amongst the sea of constables running around and he gave them an update. A few witness reports had come in this morning: At approximately nine o'clock last night, Janice had been spotted leaving King's Cross Station and entering a black car (willingly, it appeared).

"Did she leave Misthallery and catch a train?" Luke mused. Was she being threatened or pursued?

Barton blinked at him, moustache twitching. "You'll, um… have to ask Inspector Chelmey about that. He's investigating the station with Miss Elena and Mr… Danny, was it? Inspector Grosky has been trying to organize transportation to the island – "

"We'll catch up with them later," Emmy dismissed. "Right now, we need to see DI Bloom."

"H-he's in his office, but he requested not to be disturbed."

"Tell him it's about his _meeting_ last night."

"I don't think that's – "

"There's a scone in it for you."

Barton hurried down the corridor as fast as his little legs could carry him. He returned five minutes later and squeaked Bloom would see them now. Emmy presented him the promised scone. (If _anyone_ could withstand Flora's food, it was Barton.)

"Let me guess," Bloom started as the two of them marched through his office door, "you're here to question me about Miss Quatlane's disappearance – "

Luke cut straight to the chase. "Where is she?"

Bloom glanced from him to Emmy. He held his hand to his mouth and whispered, "Does he _know_?"

"Obviously," Emmy snorted.

"And is Grosky aware of your ties to Targent?"

"Is _Bronev_ aware of your talks with the intelligence services?"

Bloom's eyes bulged. Luke wished Emmy would snap a photo of him, but it took him seconds to regain his composure. He sneered, "I'm sure your uncle will be thrilled to hear from you again."

"I'll spare him a visit," Emmy chimed. "He can read all about your 'good work' in the papers."

"We have friends in the media," Luke boasted. That would throw him off Hannah's scent, and lead him on to Clive's.

"Would they be willing to defend _her_ name?" Bloom challenged.

Emmy shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not... At least the Yard is more forgiving than Targent."

The two glared at each other. Finally, Bloom huffed, "Very well. You were asking about Miss Quatlane…?"

"Do you know where she is?" Luke repeated.

"I have no clue."

Emmy slammed her fists on his desk. "That's it…!"

"Really, I don't." Bloom sat back, rubbing his hands together. "Targent discharged me from everything related to Ambrosia after my embarrassing capture – "

"After _we_ saved you," Luke reminded him.

" – _However,_ they certainly would have sent other agents to the island in my place, and impeded the police's attempts to get there."

"Would they have brought Janice with them?"

"Possibly, if they believed she could be of use."

Luke had already guessed all of this. Bloom was just wasting their time. He walked out of the office. Emmy told Bloom they would be in touch before following Luke.

Bloom called, "Did you consider that she might have left on her own accord... or rather, Melina Whistler's?"

"Melina's gone," Luke muttered. "You made sure of that."

Halfway down the corridor, Emmy halted and hissed, "I hate to say it, but he's right about Targent impeding the police's efforts. They have airships and tanks that could take out anything travelling to the island."

That meant her plane was off the list, and they would be sitting ducks on a boat. If only they had access to a submarine or something…

…Something like a giant manatee.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen**

Arianna hadn't known how much she would miss Loosha and Misthallery. All of it: The lake, the woods, the townspeople, the garden, the fresh air...

By comparison, London's air was filthy. Instead of pure white fog, they had putrid smoke from excessive industry and vehicle exhausts. It tasted different and so did the water. There were far fewer trees. The air was absolutely _filthy_ –

Arianna steadied herself against the kitchen sink. _Deep breaths._ She had only been away from home for a week. The garden wasn't going anywhere. She would visit it as soon as she got back.

Right now, Luke needed her here. Tony needed her…

 _Do they really?_ Doubt gnawed at her mind and demanded that she gaze out the window. Tony was in the Tritons' garden, punching a bag of flower suspended from a birch tree. His punches were tiny but quick. His cheeks were puffing with anger, not exhaustion.

Tony might have taken a swing at Clive (He deserved it!) if he hadn't been so shocked by the news of Luke's adventures. In merely a week, their view of the world had been turned upside down: Luke really was an oracle, the dead could be restored to life and robot villages existed. None of these revelations she had believed Tony would be able to handle.

She didn't blame Tony for feeling upset, since she had been devastated by Luke's letter. (Hypocrite.) They all knew Tony would have been an asset in St Mystere. At least _he_ wouldn't tire out after running down the road. Arianna had contributed very little yesterday, aside from solving the odd puzzle. She wasn't intuitive like Luke, or athletic like Emmy. Brenda and Professor Layton were far wiser than her.

Even Flora would be a greater benefit in their search for Janice. She was bubbly, bright and would soon learn her way around the city, better than Arianna.

Arianna hadn't offered to go with Luke this morning. Luke hadn't argued. He knew she would only be a burden and bring them down – and why couldn't she _breathe?_

Shallow sobs escaped from her too-tight chest. She dug her nails into the sink, forcing herself to take deeper breaths.

 _Breathe! You have to...!_

"Arianna!"

Instantly, she was enveloped by the scent of lavender, soothing rather than suffocating.

 _Inhale… Exhale…_

Arianna found herself in Brenda's arms. If it was anyone other than Tony, Loosha or Luke, her usual response would have been to stiffen. But Brenda was like Luke, strong and gentle at the same time.

When Arianna had recovered enough to speak, Brenda hedged in a quiet voice, "Has this happened before?"

"When we found Papa's body... and when I thought Luke – when you and Luke went missing at the opera." Arianna shook her head. "Never over as something as silly as this."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Brenda said firmly. "I still panic sometimes... if I feel alone, or if I wake up in the dark."

Arianna could only imagine the smothering terror Brenda had experienced…

There was a yelp. The two of them glanced out the window to see Tony cringing and clutching his fist. Brenda clicked her tongue and turned to a drawer Doland often used. She hunted through the drawer, picked out a box of bandages and handed them to Arianna. With a sigh, Arianna slipped outside.

Not all gardens could be ancient paradises. The Tritons garden was… homely with flowerbeds, neatly-trimmed bushes and a small pond, home to a school of goldfish and growing tadpoles. Arianna only wished it was as big as their old garden so there would be more steps between her and Tony.

She crossed the patio, past the table and chairs where they had shared pizza with Dr. Schrader, but her tiptoes were no match for mouse ears. There was a "Squeak!" from the birch tree, which alerted Tony of her presence. No point in stalling now.

As she got nearer, she noticed Toppy had taken refuge in a nook of the silver tree trunk. Was he really that anxious (or envious) of Sissel?

Tony glanced from her to his clenched fists. Wordlessly, she uncurled his fingers and wrapped the bandage around his hand, being extra careful when she reached his scraped knuckles. When she reached his other hand, he murmured, "Why did you lie to me?"

"Why did _you_ make up the witch's mark?" She hadn't meant for it to sound like an accusation… but he _had_ had fooled the entire town – including her – into thinking she was cursed. He could be crafty and resourceful, just like their father. While she moped away in her bedroom, he had been out buying them food and trying to defend their family name. It didn't matter if he dragged her name through the mud, as long as she was hidden.

But Arianna wasn't hiding anymore. For once, _just this once_ , she wanted to act like an older sister.

Tony scratched at his bandage. "You already know why…"

She had tried to shield him, but ended up shutting him out. Tony had done the same to her. They were like two baby dinosaurs, bashing their heads together. It had to stop.

Arianna was about to reply, when a muffled _"Mrrow!"_ turned their heads. Sissel was creeping towards the tree, carrying a whole carrot in his mouth. Arianna couldn't help it – she burst out laughing with Tony. Sissel gave them a flat look and deposited the carrot at the base of the tree. Toppy poked his head out of his hole, whiskers twitching.

Sissel mewled and took a step back. Arianna didn't need Luke to interpret the peace offering. Toppy scurried out of the tree, sniffed the carrot and took a cautious bite.

Sissel looked at the house and back at Toppy.

"Squee-squeak."

Seemingly satisfied with this answer, Sissel headed back to the house, his tail curling in the air.

"Does this mean you'll be moving back into Luke's room?" Tony wondered.

Toppy continued nibbling on the carrot. When he was finished, he did follow Sissel inside. Arianna, however, sat on the grass with Tony for the next two hours, telling him everything that had occurred in St. Mystere.

Around eleven, Luke got home with Emmy and Doland. He rushed out to the garden, holding a rolled-up map. "I've got a plan," he said.

When Layton, Flora, Don Paolo and Melina returned, everyone piled into the living room. They wedged themselves onto the stripy green and white settees like the the blocks of an impossible sliding puzzle. In the end, Arianna and Tony felt more comfortable sitting on the red rug with Sissel and Toppy.

"We have half an hour," Luke said, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece. He stood before them with the map (provided by Dr. Schrader) pinned to the wall behind him.

Firstly, Luke asked them all to report anything they had learned. Layton and Flora hadn't found any traces of Janice during their drive. Despite there being earlier witness sightings, Melina said no one had seen Janice since she left King's Cross Station last night in a black car. Emmy revealed that Janice was most likely to be on the island of Ambrosia – taken there by the Targent agency. They could have the island guarded with airships, missile boats or other military vehicles. (Emmy's knowledge of Targent was unnerving, even though Luke had reiterated she was their ally.)

"Then how are we going to breach the island?" Melina asked.

"Good question." Luke pointed at the map. In the North Atlantic Ocean, Schrader had marked a red dot and written 'Ambrosia'. Luke took out a black pen ("Mind you don't stain the walls," Clark or Layton said) and circled an area on the coast of West Wales, shaped like tip of a pig's nose.

"This is the beach we landed on when we got back from Ambrosia – "

"So, we'll launch an attack from there?" Don Paolo interrupted eagerly.

"Targent will be expecting that, so Inspector Grosky is arranging for a group of police boats and helicopters to leave from there. Meanwhile, our own boat will leave from… here." Further down the coast, he doodled a little boat. "The conditions around this beach are rougher, so Targent have less reason to suspect us."

"Even then, chances are our boat will be spotted," Emmy said gravely. "But that's okay, because we're just another diversion."

Luke was drawing something else in the sea. At first, it appeared to be a fish tail, but then came flippers, a big round head and a smiley face.

 _"Loosha?"_ Arianna and Tony gasped.

Don Paolo glanced at them and scratched his nose. "Gesundheit...?"

Shaking his head, Luke pointed at his drawing.

"Loosha is a giant manatee from our hometown, Misthallery. Our plan is for her to nip in and pick up Janice from the island."

"Because giant manatees are known for their stealth," Don Paolo droned.

"She's fast in the water," Tony retorted.

"Yeah, right." Don Paolo stood up and snatched the pen from Luke. Above the Loosha doodle, he scribbled what seemed to be a helicopter. Everyone stared in silence until he explained, "It's a flying machine! I can swoop in and save Janice before Targent knows what hit 'em."

Emmy snorted, "They would shoot you out of the sky."

"Besides – " Luke swiped his pen back. "— you're coming with me, Mum and the professor."

Don Paolo glanced at Melina and opened his mouth, but Luke snapped, "We don't have _time_ to argue about this. Clive is expecting us at noon, and if we don't turn up..."

He sent a bleak look at the professor, who said, "I'm not going anywhere, Luke."

"You can count on us," Flora piped up.

Luke blinked at her and sighed, "The last thing I want is to leave you all... especially when we can't depend on Sissel's ghost tricks…" Sissel hissed. "I _know_ your tricks aren't useless," Luke said to him. "But they will be on the island if Targent raises Ambrosia."

"Sissel might as well go with you," Arianna said. "We'll have Loosha."

"How are we going to get Loosha to the sea?" Tony asked.

"I've already arranged that. Our friends Sammy and Katia are paying for us to hire a lorry. It'll stop here before picking up Loosha in Misthallery."

"Tony and I will go with them to collect Loosha," Arianna said. They couldn't leave Loosha alone with a lorry driver. She would already be stressed from the drive out of Misthallery... How would she take to the sea? It would be cold, salty and choppy. She could be hit by a boat or hooked by a fisherman!

She might never find her way back...

Arianna was certain Luke had already tampered with Loosha's fate. If they had to risk her life to get to the island, then Arianna was going with her.

"I'm the _only_ one who can handle Loosha," Arianna said adamantly. She was prepared to prove her point ("I know I'm weakest here, but Loosha doesn't trust anyone as much as me and Tony!"), when Luke simply replied, "I know. Please, just be careful, all of you..." Ignoring Don Paolo's scoffs, he looked at the clock again. "It's half eleven. We should go."

The two groups exchanged their 'good byes' and 'good lucks'. Emmy swore to protect everyone from Targent. Don Paolo didn't seem convinced. Melina promised him they would have a jam session when they got back with Janice. Brenda felt bad for abandoning Flora, but Flora understood they were going to help Clark and Layton. (She was looking forward to meeting them as two separate people.) Toppy would have the house all to himself – something he didn't seem happy about. Sissel meowed at him and Luke repeated, "Don't get too comfy. We'll all be back soon."

Arianna followed Luke to the door and for a second, she felt panic fluttering in her chest again. What if this was the last time she ever got to see him? He was walking right into the hands of an obsessed reporter, who only seemed concerned with Professor Layton. Would he dispose of the Tritons as soon as he had the professor's memories…?

Her heart was pounding when Luke turned to her and said, "See you later."

It was an assurance that all of them would succeed – that _she_ would succeed – and be home in the evening.

"O-of course." She kissed him on the cheek. Luke went beet red and blanked out, as if he was experiencing a bout of of déjà vu. (Arianna was used to it by now.) Then Brenda called him and the spell was broken. He ran out to catch the bus with his parents.

Arianna shut the door and turned in the hallway. Tony was stood behind her, grinning like a crocodile.

Arianna huffed, "You're meant to be looking out for the lorry!"

 _"Actually,_ I was going to ring Sean. He and the Black Ravens can make sure Loosha is ready to go as soon as we arrive."

Tony would have to get in line for the phone, because Emmy was discussing their plan with Grosky. Doland was packing a bag of supplies, including lunch, bottles of water, Brenda's binoculars, a wind up torch and an old compass. Melina was studying Schrader's map. Flora looked very lost sitting in the living room. She was startled when Arianna asked, "Do you want to come to Misthallery with us?" Flora nodded.

Melina looked up from the map. "I'll come too."

On the contrary, Emmy needed Melina's help to organize their journey to the island. She was familiar with the island's layout and its tide times, having lived there when she was ill. If only they had discovered the garden sooner, Arianna realized with dismay, Melina might have been cured.

A horn honked out front, followed by the rumble of an engine.

"It's here!" Tony said

Arianna joined him at window. A huge yellow dumper lorry had parked outside the house, knocking over a dustbin on the pavement. Arianna wasn't sure what to make of the driver, who jumped out and winced at the mess. He didn't seem very professional with his denim jacket, jeans and mesh shirt. And who wore _black sunglasses_ on such a cloudy day?

Noticing Arianna's distaste, Emmy came to check.

"That's Sammy..."

Emmy let him in and they heard him holler from the hallway, "Your ride's here!"

There was no mistake – Sammy had elected himself to be their driver. He claimed he hadn't wanted the construction company to find out they were transporting a giant 'sea cow'. However, his motives became clear when he asked, "Could Katia and our – _her_ grandparents follow us in their car? Her grandma, Sophia, isn't feeling too good, and we'd be grateful if she could visit the Golden Garden..."

Now wasn't the time for disagreements. Arianna could only hope his family would be as respectful as Amelia and her grandfather.

"Thanks a bunch! You guys can sit in the limo. We'll travel in style and speed!"

Emmy thought this was a good idea. They arranged to meet at the beach for half past three.

Arianna remembered riding in a limo with her father when she was little. Sometimes, she and Tony would accompany him to London… until the doctors gave their diagnosis and she was deemed too sickly to travel.

Maybe this added to her discomfort as she, Tony and Flora hopped into the limo. (Doland went in the lorry with Sammy.) They were welcomed by a girl with short purple hair, Katia, and her grandparents, Anton and Sophia.

It was easy to assume Anton was the poorly one; he was extremely pale with a long sagging face. Sophia had lots of wrinkles as well, but they were mainly smile lines. Her hair wasn't even grey – it seemed to be a very light shade of lavender. Arianna was reminded of Brenda and some of her uneasiness passed.

When Sophia spoke, Arianna heard the croak in her voice. "Thank you for granting us access to the Golden Garden. I hope it's not an inconvenience."

"No… Not at all," Arianna said. "We don't _own_ the garden…"

She glanced at Tony for help, but he was playing with the window opener.

"So, where are you all from?" Flora chimed.

"Dropstone," Katia said. "It's a little village near Luxenbelle. We're famous for our cattle competitions…" She shared an amused glance with Sophia. "Since you'll be riding Loosha, we thought you could use a saddle. The one we've brought was part of a festival bull ride that broke down."

"That should be perfect," Flora gasped, smiling at Arianna and Tony. "Right?"

"…Right."

Thanks to Flora, the conversation flowed easily between them. They chatted about London, puzzles, books, the Molentary Express, Loosha, music, the Crown Petone's unprecedented voyage…

Just as the top of Barde Manor became visible, Anton inquired if they were fans of the theatre.

"Only the puppet theater," Tony said. There was a hotel worker in Misthallery who put on puppet shows during her days off. Arianna didn't really care for puppets, but she had recently seen one show with Tony.

Automatically, Arianna looked at Flora, expecting her to comment. But Flora was gawking out the window, lost in her own little world. Maybe she was just amazed by Misthallery…

She was still staring when the car stopped.

"Flora?" Arianna whispered.

They all shifted to get out of the limo. As she was sat by the door, Flora would have to move first.

"Flora," Tony said, tapping her on the shoulder.

"What…? Oh, sorry!" She finally leapt out of the limo. She was overwhelmed by the number of people waiting for them on the bridge leading into town: Beth, Aldus, Mayor Greppe, Mimi, Sean, the Black Ravens… (Those were just the ones at the front of the crowd!)

"That's what I call a welcome party," Sammy said as he jumped out of the lorry with Doland. "Now, where's little Loosh — aaaaaaaaah!"

Loosha had hauled herself up from under the bridge. She almost trampled Sammy in her rush to see Arianna and Tony. Beth, Sean and the Black Ravens traipsed after her.

Sean gave Arianna her flute. Beth gave her a flower from the garden 'for luck'. Marylin gave them some pears for Loosha.

Roddy gave them a funny look.

"W-what is it?" Arianna said.

"Not _you…"_ Roddy pointed at the dumper lorry behind her. "Combey Construction – I think that's the company my dad worked for."

"Really?" Arianna wasn't familiar with Roddy's family, but he often complained about his absent father.

"Yeah. They've got him working so hard – he hasn't come home in ages! Such a pain…"

Arianna told Roddy they would inquire about his father before excusing herself.

They fitted Loosha with the saddle and tempted her onto the back of the lorry using a pear. She wasn't happy about being tied down and covered by a tarp, but it for her own safety.

"You have to stay hidden, Loosha," Tony warned when she poked her head out. "Don't worry – we'll be with you."

He, Arianna and Flora were sharing a seat at the front of the lorry. Doland was in the middle. Sammy hugged his family goodbye and left Aldus to escort them to the Golden Garden.

"Buckle up, passengers!" Sammy bounded into the driver's seat, beeped the horn, and turned on the radio, full blast. "Here we goooo!"

"Not again," Doland groaned.

Flora was quiet during the drive. Granted, one could barely hear themselves think with Sammy's music, but Arianna was still concerned. "Flora?" She nearly had to shout, but thankfully Doland and Sammy didn't hear her.

Flora heard her just fine. "Yes?"

"I thought you might have… um, spaced out again." Flora blinked and Arianna quickly added, "You seem to do that a lot."

"Oh… I'm sorry." She glanced away, wilting.

"N-no, don't be!" Arianna amended. How could she dig herself out of this ditch? "It doesn't bother me at all. I just wouldn't want it to happen to you if we were in a dangerous situation – "

"I can see the sea!" Tony cried. (Arianna was immensely grateful to him.)

They crested a hill and drove down a winding road, following the coast. Their destination was a secluded cove enclosed by crumbling red cliffs. Sammy stopped in the empty car park besides a shabby sea wall.

The instant Arianna stepped out of the lorry, a gust of wind snatched at her hair. She cupped her hands around her eyes and peered at the beach. It was deserted, save for a plain white fishing boat sitting in the wet sand, waiting to be swept up by the tide. A passenger in yellow emerged from the boat and jogged over to them. Tony, Flora, Doland and Sammy also got out of the lorry.

Emmy was carrying two grey rain coats and orange life jackets.

"Sorry we're a tad late," Doland said.

Emmy shook her head and handed the items to Arianna and Tony. "You'll need these."

Arianna helped Tony with his life jacket and made sure Doland's supplies pack was secure on his back. They freed Loosha from the lorry. She waddled onto the beach and greeted Emmy with an "Eiiiiii!"

"Hi, Loosha. I hope you're ready for a swim."

Tony checked the tightness of Loosha's saddle. "She's ready."

"We'll be right behind you," Emmy promised as Loosha slid down to the sea. "Any sign of Targent, get your heads underwater."

Arianna froze when Flora suddenly hugged her. (They had only known each other for a _day...)_ She felt Flora gather her hair into a ponytail and pull back. "Your ribbon was loose, so I fixed it."

"Oh – thanks."

"Be careful out there."

"If you encounter any trouble on your crossing, I'll be here to inform the coastguard," Doland assured them.

Arianna and Tony clambered into Loosha's saddle. Loosha dipped one flipper into the water. She squealed as a wave washed over her and dived right in. Arianna shut her eyes and her mouth, but nothing could prepare her for sea. The spray clung to her hair, clothes and face. Her eyes flew open and she gasped, inhaling freezing salt air.

"Go, Loosha!" Tony's whoop was swallowed by the roar of the waves.

Arianna stole one last glance back at the beach. Melina and Grosky had joined the others to wave at them. Soon, they were little more than specks in the distance. Arianna smiled and turned to the grey horizon.

They were travelling south-west, through the Celtic Sea. Every few minutes they would consult the compass and check their surroundings with Brenda's binoculars.

After the thirty-seventh check, Tony put down the binoculars with a yawn.

"Have a sleep if you're tired," Arianna said.

"I'm not tired." He exchanged the binoculars for a bottle of water and took a sip. "Do you want some…?"

"Yes, please – "

"I meant Loosha. Can you give this to her?"

Arianna stood up in the saddle, stretching out her arm to give Loosha the bottle. So far, she'd had no problems swimming in salt water, but it was best that she only drank fresh water. Loosha finished off the water bottle, crunched it in her mouth and dropped it in the sea.

 _"Loosha!_ " Arianna scolded. "That's littering!"

Tony reached out to grab the bottle. Just watching him touch the water gave Arianna goose pimples.

But then, there was a noise from the sky that sent shudders down her spine. Propellers. She forced herself to look up. Tony and Loosha did the same.

"What is _that?"_ Tony shrieked.

"Dive, Loosha! Tony, hold your breath —!"

Arianna had barely snatched a breath before Loosha dived underwater. The cold flooded Arianna's nose, ears and bones. Her hands were frozen, but they held Loosha's saddle for dear life. Tony's arms were locked around her waist, squeezing the air out of her. She couldn't do this. She was going to drown.

 _Papa, help us…_

Loosha burst to the surface. Arianna gasped and leaned over the side of the saddle. Tony coughed and patted her back. Looking back at them, Loosha made a sad noise.

"It's not your fault," Tony rasped. "You saved us from being spotted." He pointed up at the clouds. "Look, they left a trail…"

It had to lead to the island. Arianna sat up straight and huffed, "Let's follow it."

Several hours passed before they saw the island. It was lush and green like the shell of a turtle. Arianna thought it was surrounded by stacks of white rock, worn away by the sea. As they drew nearer, however, she realized they were more like white… pipes. Tony reached out to touch one of them.

"It feels like a shell – "

 _"Shhhh."_

They were now close enough to see the beach clearly… where two uniformed men were lounging on a speedboat. Targent.

Without a word, Arianna ushered Loosha behind the white tube. (Loosha didn't complain, thank goodness!)

Arianna peeked out at the men with the binoculars. Were these the only Targent agents on guard or were there more nearby? She hoped there weren't any patrolling the sea…

Moments passed, but no one raised the alarm. All they heard were waves lapping against the shore and a cough from one of the agents.

"There are only two of them," Tony hissed. "We could get past them."

"But what if we wander into an army?" The rest of them must have taken Janice somewhere…

Tony took the binoculars and pointed out, "That boat isn't big enough to hold an army." He was right – the boat would probably fit six people.

Six people who could hurt Janice. They could wait for Emmy and the others arrive… but by then, it might be too late.

Arianna glared at the two agents. "I think I have an idea."

She wanted to be the 'bait', but Tony slid off Loosha's back before she could protest. ( _He_ was the stronger swimmer ...) She and Loosha followed him, keeping their heads just above water, until he reached the shallows. There were shouts as he washed up on the sand.

"What the – it's a _kid!"_

"Grab him!"

The shorter, rounder man hoisted Tony up by his coat as if he weighed no more than a drenched kitten. A kitten that battered him across the face. He dropped Tony with a yelp.

"Don't let him get away!" his partner yelled.

Tony scrambled back into the sea. The shorter man waded after him until he was chest-deep in the water. Then, something caught his foot.

"ROOK!" he screamed as he was sucked underwater.

 _"Bishop?"_ 'Rook' ran into the water, but not too deep. He scanned the waves for Bishop and their mysterious attacker. "Show yourself!"

There was a splash as something jumped out of the water. Rook could only gape in horror before he was flattened by Loosha's belly.

"Well done, you two," Arianna said to Tony and Loosha.

Loosha moved off the groaning Rook and nudged him with her nose. _"Eei?"_

"He'll be fine," Tony said, rolling Bishop next to him on the sand. "But shouldn't we hide them…?"

They buried the unconscious agents in the sand, leaving holes for them to breathe. While Tony checked their soggy supplies, Arianna inspected the speed boat. There were no signs of a struggle (fortunately) and nothing to indicate where Targent had taken Janice. They would just have to search for her.

Loosha wanted to follow them into the woods bordering the beach, but Arianna told her to stay hidden in the water. Whining, Loosha lowered her head to their level. Arianna gently pushed her away.

"Go on. You can keep an eye out for more Targent agents. I'll call you on the flute if we need help."

Loosha finally dragged herself back to the beach, though she kept pausing to look at them.

When they heard her enter the water, Arianna and Tony wandered through the woods.

It was no wonder Melina had lived on the island. The air was like a balm for Arianna's lungs after holding her breath underwater.

They encountered trees that had been uprooted or reduced to splinters. Trenches and indentations had been left in the soil – some were larger than Loosha! Was this all from that death machine Luke had described?

The chaos worsened when they came to a lake and the wreckage of a dark castle. Arianna looked around in horror. Luke could have diedhere…

Who was to say he _hadn't?_

She jumped out of her skin when Tony exclaimed, "Janice?" She was about to shush him, but she too noticed the red-haired figure picking through the rubble.

It really _was_ Janice. She straightened up as they clambered over bricks and scrap metal to reach her. "Tony?"she gasped.

"We're here to rescue you!"

Janice didn't look relieved at all. Arianna couldn't blame her, considering her rescuers were an eight-year-old boy and a recovering eleven-year-old girl.

"H-how did you get here?" Janice asked. She fidgeted, adjusting a rucksack of her own.

"We rode on Loosha," Tony explained, his mouth running a mile a minute. "She should be able to carry you too... but she might be a bit slower..."

Loosha could take the two of them and Luke, but Janice was an adult woman.

"What if we used that boat?" Arianna suggested. She had no idea how to drive a speed boat. ( _Why_ had she always ignored Bucky's lectures?) Did it come with a key, like a car? Rook or Bishop might have the key on them…

Janice stepped back, shaking her head. "You two need to leave right now, but I can't... not without Carmine – "

"What?" Tony grabbed the back of his head. "Was he caught by Targent?"

Janice nodded tensely. She looked over her shoulder.

"We'll save him – "

Janice's gaze flew back to them. "No. It's my fault we're here. I won't put you in danger too."

"Loosha can help us! All we have to do is call her!"

"Call her… with the flute?" Janice said.

Her eyes widened as Arianna pulled out the flute. For a moment, she seemed hopeful, but then she turned away from them and whispered, "If I don't sing _A Song Of the Sea_ , they'll kill him."

"If you _do_ sing, they could kill him anyway," Arianna countered.

Tony nodded in agreement and asked, "Where is he being held?"

"I don't know, butif we perform the songs when they least expect it, Carmine might find a chance to escape."

Arianna held the flute closer to her chest. _"We...?"_

"Three songs are required to raise Ambrosia," Janice recalled quickly. _"Songs of the Sea, Stars and Sun."_

"Yes, Luke warned us about that – "

 _"But_ what if we only performed two songs? The island will respond even more than it did to my voice alone. That should be enough to distract Targent without the risk of raising Ambrosia."

"While they go to investigate, we can find Carmine," Tony added.

"This is _A Song of the Sun..."_ Janice removed a sheet of paper from her rucksack and showed it to Arianna. "Can you read music?"

She studied the musical stave scrawled with pencil notes. Of course she could read it after years spent playing the piano with her papa. But still... Was it wise to perform any of the songs?

She met Janice's gaze and saw just how much anguish was there. Targent may not have harmed her physically, but there were dark bags under her eyes and she was ever so pale. Arianna didn't have to imagine how afraid she was for her friend. She had been in that position.

With a nod, she accepted the sheet from Janice.

Janice led them away from the rubble and into a forest clearing (as clear as it could get with the ravaged trees). She asked Tony to stand watch. Arianna memorized _A Song of the Sun_ and, after a nod from Janice, started to play it on her flute. Janice joined in, singing another melody.

Tony yelped as the ground shook beneath them. Arianna closed her eyes and kept concentrating on the song. She heard a distant cry from Loosha, pounding footsteps, twigs snapping and…

 _A violin?_

Tony whispered, "Is that...?"

Arianna broke off from her flute as a man in a beige trench coat and cap hurried towards them. Why was he holding a violin?

"Janice," he panted. "I heard you singing… so I played…"

"What song did you play?" Arianna demanded. She glared from him to Janice, whose head was cast in the direction of the shore.

" _A_ _Song of the Stars_ …" The man, who was obviously Carmine, who had obviously _not_ been captured, blinked at the children. "Who are you two?"

Arianna couldn't answer him. She suddenly felt breathless and it wasn't from playing the flute. They had performed all three songs… They had raised Ambrosia… They had let Luke down… Had they really, though? Carmine came in late – maybe it hadn't worked properly. Maybe…

Her thoughts were broken by a mumble from Janice. "I'm sorry."

"You _used_ us," Tony breathed.

Carmine frowned at Janice. "Why did you drag them into this?"

Janice recited, "The legend said the kingdom awould arise when its queen returned – "

"Listen to yourself!" He shook her by the shoulder. "That doesn't make any sense – "

"She's meant to return!" Janice reeled away from him and ran towards the beach.

"Wait, Janice!"

"Come on," Tony said, dragging Arianna along by the arm.

Carmine gave chase with them and Tony growled, "Did you even know Targent are on the island?"

Carmine ducked under a stray tree branch. "Those men who stole our boat –?"

They all skidded to a halt when they saw Janice at the edge of the woods. She was facing the beach with her back to them.

Arianna squinted at the sea. The white pipes had grown taller, forming a twisted fence around the island. Where was Loosha? Had she gotten caught amongst the pipes?

Janice hadn't stopped to gawk at Ambrosia. As they edged closer, Arianna noticed the white fishing boat on the beach and the small army of Targent agents. They had four people lined up like prisoners of pirates.

Standing in front of them was a bearded man with a mane of greying golden hair. He addressed Janice in a rumbling voice. "My thanks, Miss Quatlane, for raising Ambrosia. It saves us making pointless threats."

Emmy didn't struggle against her captors, but she scowled at the lion-man. (If looks could kill...) Flora was pressed against her side. Grosky was weighed down by three Targent agents. Melina looked woozy, but her gaze was alert and locked on Janice. Janice didn't appear to recognize her.

Why hadn't they told Janice about Melina before she raised Ambrosia? Would it have made a difference since Targent had captured everyone? Well, they would be free soon…

Arianna held up her flute, ready to summon Loosha. Carmine mimed for them to keep quiet.

A twig snapped behind them. Arianna whipped around and found herself at eye-level with the pointed end of a stick. It was Rook and Bishop, looking very sandy and very pleased with themselves.

Rook jabbed at them with his makeshift spear. "Get moving."

"...Are these your helpers?" the lion-man hummed as the three of them were poked onto the sand. (He didn't acknowledge Rook and Bishop.) Emmy's eyes widened and Flora mouthed a silent 'no'.

"You can have Ambrosia," Janice said, defeated. "Just let everyone go."

"Of course. I have no use for _them."_ He strode forwards and took her by the wrist. "But I'll need you to unlock the secrets of the Azran."

Emmy sputtered, "Don't be ridiculous! She's not the messenger – "

An agent struck her with his gun. Flora whimpered and tried to support Emmy. Grosky received a similar punishment when he protested.

And Melina just kept staring at Janice.

Arianna looked past Melina, at the sea. A blue-grey head peeked out at her from behind a white pipe.

The lion-man studied her as she lifted her flute. "What's this now –?"

She produced a single shrill note.

Ambrosia seemed to hold its breath. The calm before a storm. Then, Loosha erupted from the waves with a noise that could only be described as a roar.

Emmy kicked away the startled agents restraining her and Flora. Grosky leapt up and body-slammed the three who held him. Melina broke free and ran to Janice, saving her from Bronev's clutches.

A gunshot rang out. Loosha released a pained cry and reared back.

Tony sobbed, "No, please! Leave her alone – "

"Enough." The lion-man trained his gun from Loosha, to Emmy, to Melina, who was shielding Janice. "Move," he muttered, jerking his head.

"Do as he says," Emmy ordered. She had never looked so fearful.

"Elena...!" Flora bleated.

Melina didn't move. She raised her head to meet the barrel of the gun.

"Very well then."

There were screams as the bullet entered her skull. Melina went limp against Janice, head dropping.

Emmy snarled and charged at the lion-man, but stopped short as Melina slowly lifted her head. The bullet had left a hole, through which they could see tiny gears turning and wires sparking. A window into a mechanical mind. Tony hid his face in Arianna's shoulder.

The Targent agents dropped their weapons in terror.

"You..." The lion-man removed his glasses to glare at her with wide brown eyes. "What _are_ you?"

Melina's own eyes were unfocused. In a garbled robotic voice, she answered, "I am the Queen of Ambrosia."


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

"We can't let them scan my memories," Luke muttered, huddled between his parents at the back end of the bus. Beluga had been right about them becoming 'yesterday's news'. No one disturbed them, despite there being _two_ Luke Tritons. Maybe it was because one of them had a cat sitting on his shoulder. Luke didn't care how bizarre they looked, as long as people gave them a wide berth.

Dimitri would take Layton's memories as planned. Knowing how driven he was, he would want all memories of Claire from Clark, Brenda, and even Luke. In doing so, he would discover Luke had encountered Claire in an alternate timeline. A timeline wherein Claire couldn't be saved and Clive demolished a good chunk of London. Luke's secret would be out of the bag—and so would Clive's.

That wasn't going to happen, though. They had Don Paolo.

"We can't let them scan my memories," Don repeated in a perfect impression of Luke's voice.

Not perfect enough for Brenda. "It sounds a bit... nasally."

Don Paolo's sneer clashed with his Luke-disguise. "What do _you_ know about acting?"

"Quite a lot, _actually_ —"

"Please, you two," Layton sighed. "We must make this convincing."

"Shut up, _'Dad!'_ You've got the easiest disguise!"

"What a happy family," Sissel snarked.

"It's just until you get the helmet," Luke pleaded. "Then meet me back at the clock shop."

"What will _you_ be doing in the meantime?" Don Paolo hissed.

"Freeing anyone else who might be underground." He wasn't sure how many builders, scientists or citizens were stuck down there— or what the underground cavern would even look like— but he had to check. And he had to find out what state the Mobile Fortress was in...

Once again, Don Paolo broke through his thoughts. "And if they decide to scan _my_ brain?"

If Dimitri noticed 'Luke' had the mind of thirty-something-year-old mechanic…?

"Get out of there as fast as you can." Luke ducked under the window as the bus arrived at Midland Road. "Here's your stop. I'll be right behind you."

Brenda planted a kiss on his head and petted Sissel's ears. Luke peeked out, his breath steaming up the window, as his parents and Don Paolo stepped off the bus. Clive hadn't specified _where_ on the road they were meant to meet him, but Luke couldn't chance being seen. He had to believe his family would pull this off without him.

The bus started moving again. Luke turned to Sissel. "Can you make us invisible or something?"

"I can travel through phone lines if that helps."

"That's great but there aren't any phone lines underground." They jumped off the bus at the next stop, a fancy residential street, and dashed back to Midland Road. "Any other tricks?"

"Yeah, I— _look out!_ " Sissel yowled.

Something tackled Luke to the pavement. Luke rolled over, expecting Clive or one of his spies, but he found himself staring up at a grey muzzle.

"No, Pongo! That's naughty... _Luke?"_

Pongo gave Luke a slobbery kiss before Nina yanked him away by the collar.

Luke scrambled to his feet, scrubbing his face. "Nina? What are you _doing_ here?" (No one would come near her while she was walking a _wolf_ , but still...)

"This is our street." She pointed across the road at a detached house behind an iron fence.

Luke's heart thudded. _They were so close to Future London..._

If he didn't stop Clive... if he didn't stop the Mobile Fortress... sooner or later, everything in the surrounding area would be decimated. Luke and the professor had never heard from her family again after their trip to Ambrosia.

Putting his hands on her shoulders, Luke pushed her towards the house. "You need to go... go somewhere with your parents— maybe the zoo or the museum!"

"Why? What's wrong?" She looked back at him, her face pinched with worry far beyond her years. With a jolt, Luke recognised that expression and realised how similar their experiences were. An older mind trapped in a child's body. Both of them harboured memories of another life, except Nina's memories weren't her own.

She was _seven_. No matter what, he was going to keep her safe.

"Please, Nina..."

She understood. "O-okay. Come on, Pongo..." She looked both ways and scampered across the road.

Luke watched her enter the house with Pongo. He sighed and continued sprinting down Midland Road. How far ahead had his parents and Don Paolo gotten?

Sissel bounded after him. "Her core... I've never seen anything like it."

"Can you see Mum and Dons' cores nearby? Or Clive's?"

"Not here..."

They reached the Midland Road bus stop. Luke scanned the narrow lane of shops— all clear. He and Sissel raced to the clock shop, dodging puddles and shadows they passed. No one jumped out to grab them. There wasn't even a guard in front of the clock shop.

Luke touched the door panel with the hourglass on it. He hesitated— what would Spring and Cog say when a _second_ Luke Triton walked in?

He could try talking to them about Clive. They had helped everyone escape from Future London before... but that was when Clive had discarded all morality and unleashed the Mobile Fortress. At this point in time, Clive might not have even kidnapped anyone for the city. (Gosh, Luke _hoped_ that was the case.) Spring and Cogg could still regard him as the misguided young Master Dove.

He frowned at Sissel. If he could possess inanimate bodies... "Can you possess people's minds?"

Sissel's fur stood up on its ends. "No, never."

"Sorry..." Luke grimaced. He'd struck a cord there. "I just thought it would be better than knocking out the shopkeepers."

"I can manipulate _objects_ and corpses."

"No corpses. There are plenty of clocks you can use..."

Luke opened the door and Sissel slipped inside. Luke listened to the ticking clocks, waited for Spring and Cogg to react. He jumped when Sissel called, "No one's in here. Just a big hole in the floor."

Luke followed him in. The shop was just as he remembered, perhaps with a few less clocks in the front room.

He crept to the back of the shop— or rather, what had been the back of the shop. The whole room with the biggest clock had gone down the lift shaft.

Sissel was standing on the edge of the wooden steps, gazing into the darkness. Luke joined him.

"It's a lift— an elevator. They've taken my parents and Don Paolo down there. It's our only way in, so we'll have to wait for them to—"

The shop began to shake. Luke almost lost his balance. "Wah! It's coming back up!" _Who_ was coming back up so soon? And why? Spring and Cogg they could handle. Clive and the Family were another story.

The lift was so close now. It sounded like a rollercoaster climbing up a hill, giving Luke that same adrenaline rush. They were about to plunge over the edge.

Sissel had dug his claws into the steps. "You need to hide. I'll take care of this."

Luke staggered to the front of the shop, eyes falling on a tall red grandfather clock by the door. That would have to do. He dived behind the clock as the lift returned to the surface. The whirs and rumbles ceased, along with the bongs of the giant clock.

"Hmm. Can't you make that lift go faster?" That voice definitely didn't belong to Spring or Cogg.

"Any faster and we'd lose our lunch," Cogg grunted. Spring groaned in agreement.

"Clive doesn't take kindly to _inefficiency_ ," the man pointed out. The scrape of a knife sharpened Luke's memory. It was that fish-faced thug— one of the men who took orders directly from Clive. Had Clive sent him up here? Was he on to Luke's ruse?

Spring let out a bubble of nervous laughter. "Hee hee hoo… Don't you worry! Tell Clive we'll have that lift in shipshape, toot sweet."

"Good... Keep your eyes peeled. I'm going to scope out the street." The wooden steps creaked under his footsteps. He was coming to the front of the shop.

Luke pressed his back against the grandfather clock, his pulse pounding in time with its ticks.

 _Hurry, Sissel!_

Something smashed. A body toppled down the steps.

"My _cuckoo clock!"_ Cogg cried.

Spring followed him down the steps. "Oh dear... Was that one not hung up properly?"

Cogg could be heard gathering the broken pieces of his clock. "I can still save it! Quick, where are my pliers?"

"Did you leave them up in the kitchen—?"

Cogg shot upstairs, presumably to their living quarters above the shop.

Spring hollered, "Should we call a doctor for Mr. Fisheye? Or should we consult with Clive first _...?"_ Her only response was Cogg shuffling around over her head. " _Cogg!"_ She went up after him.

Luke peered out from behind the grandfather clock. Fisheye was slumped facedown at the bottom of the steps with shards of the clock scattered around his head.

"Come on, Luke!" Sissel hissed from the back of the shop. Luke leapt over Fisheye's body and ran to the giant clock.

Sissel emerged from behind Spring's desk. He gazed around the room. "So, where's the elevator switch?"

"Umm..." Luke's hands hovered over the golden gears, glass dials and long levers. The time machine was all for show. The right switch had to be around here somewhere...

More shuffling upstairs. Then came a triumphant shout from Cogg. _"Found them!"_

Luke glanced at Sissel, who was grooming himself.

"I'm a cat. I don't know much about elevator mechanics."

They heard Spring's voice as she pattered back downstairs. Luke pictured her jumping up to pull a lever— the one closest to the clock. He bent his knees, leapt up and threw all his weight onto the leaver. It didn't budge. Hopelessly, he hung there, feeling how little difference he alone could make. Then Sissel sprang onto his back. Down came the leaver.

Luke barely heard Spring's cries over the noise of the clock and the lift.

When the lift reached its destination, he and Sissel flopped down from the lever.

"Are you… okay?" Luke groaned, clambering to his feet.

With his extended claws and frazzled fur, Sissel looked like he'd just lost one of his nine lives. He coughed out, "I _hate_ elevators."

While Sissel recovered, Luke stumbled to the front of the shop and opened the door by a slither. The air outside was heavy and stagnant— worse than he remembered. It didn't help his nausea at all. Maybe it really had been wiser to send Arianna to Ambrosia. What about Luke's mum, though? He hoped she was coping with being below ground…

It seemed Clive hadn't refined Future London's lighting yet. That fake yellow sky hurt Luke's eyes.

Luke squinted outside;the road itself was the only part that appeared complete. Blue construction panels obscured the buildings along the road from view. This was how lab rats felt when they were caught in a maze.

Nothing could conceal Luke from the construction worker in the middle of the road.

"H-hi," Luke said.

The man adjusted his orange safety helmet and rubbed his sweaty head. "Didn't you just come through here, kid?"

"I left my... cat behind," Luke said as Sissel poked his head around the door. Luke picked him up.

"You'll want to keep a better eye on him. This _is_ a building site, y'know."

He resumed his work, screwing a bolt onto a metal pipe. Clearly, he wasn't going to rat them out.

Luke edged out of the clock shop, closing the door behind them, and inquired, "How long have you been working here?"

"'Couple of months now." He scuffed his shoe on the road.

"And how many of you are there?"

"From Combey Construction?" He shrugged. "Dunno. It's just me managing this road."

Luke thanked him and hurried up Midland Road, which became steeper. He turned back, craning his head up at the clock shop's tower. Before, Inspector Chelmey has managed to evacuate every citizen through the lift. And that was while Future London was falling apart!

Sissel squirmed in his arms. "It's too hot."

Luke looked to his left. In the place where Anita's cafe would have been was a blue Portakabin. Through the window in the door, Luke saw four more workmen lounging around and the purple-haired Anita behind the counter. He nipped inside.

It wasn't much of a cafe yet— all Anita had was a mini fridge, a kettle and a shelf of crockery crammed behind her. She blinked at Luke as he asked her for a bowl of water.

The workmen glanced up from their table like he was the most interesting thing they had seen in a long time.

One frowned at Luke over a mug of tea. "Who's kid is that?"

"Maybe he's Hardy's," another jeered.

"Nah, looks nothing like him—"

Anita threw a dish towel at them. She got a bowl of water for Sissel and made Luke a ham sandwich. She chatted as he ate, "Are your parents working nearby?"

When he had finished his sandwich, Luke answered shrewdly, "They're with the scientists."

"Golly! Did you come all the way from the research lab?"

So, the laboratory was definitely up and running.

"Yeah... Do you know the quickest way back to the lab?"

Humming, she glanced down at Luke's shoes. "You'll have to cross the trench."

The _trench?_ Was this an early tactic to keep the scientists contained?

"Hardy helped dig the trench," a workman piped up. "He might give you a hand... if he can be bothered."

"Where can I find him?"

Apparently, Hardy's regular hangout was on the hill overlooking the trench. The workmen from the cafe would have accompanied Luke, but they were too scared to leave their posts. After seeing Sissel take out Fisheye, Luke wasn't as worried about the Family, anyway.

He wanted to take the shortcut through the Park Gate in the hopes of avoiding Clive. The door, however, was obstructed by more blue panels. Someone had painted over the panels with icons of London.

"I guess we're going the long way round," Luke sighed.

"You could use the exercise," Sissel joked. He sounded much cooler now.

The bus stop hadn't even been built yet at the end of Midland Road. Neither had the houses, the archways or the arcade. There weren't any civilians out, Luke was relieved to find. He wouldn't get knocked over by Belle—

But he would have much preferred Belle over a bunch of Family goons. One was lurking outside the building that would become the Hotel Duke. The dilapidated wooden sign hanging over the doorway claimed it was a 'Hotel' now.

A black car probably belonging to the Family was parked at the end of the street. Luke and Sissel hid behind it.

Two more goons emerged from the building with a tired–looking man. He had slate-grey hair and his clothes were stained with bronze splotches.

"—Worked _all night!"_ the poor man was wailing. He dug his nails into the edge of the doorway. They struggled to drag him away.

A teenage girl— _Becky!—_ surged through the door. "Leave him alone!"

Luke whispered, "Sissel—"

"Way ahead of you."

Luke was startled when the car jolted to life and drove itself down the street. The Family goons gawked as it sped past them. The one who had been waiting charged after it. "My baby _— come back_!" His concern rivalled the professor's care for the Laytonmobile. The other two noticed Luke and Sissel crouching where the car had been.

The captured man was taking advantage of the Family's surprise. He wrenched his arms free and dived back into the hotel.

The goons stormed after him. With a creak, the sign became unhinged and fell on them.

Becky's gaze flew from the groaning goons to Luke. She waved him into the hotel.

Luke bolted inside with Sissel. Becky slammed the door behind him and jammed a chair against the handle.

"Becky, are you alright?" It was Becky's grandmother, Margaret, more alert than Luke ever remembered her being. She ushered them all into the hotel 'lobby'— which was nowhere near as cosy as it would be in the Hotel Duke— and hugged Becky.

"Thank you!" The rescued man shook hands with Luke. "You saved me!"

Becky wasn't impressed that Luke was taking all the credit. "How did you push that car?" she wondered.

"Forget it." Luke shook his head. He asked the man, "What did they want with you? Are you one of the workers...?"

"No, I'm just... I'm Slate…"

Slate explained how he had wound up in this strange part of London after visiting a clock shop one day. Margaret had kindly let him stay at the hotel with the workmen.

"Sorry," Luke interrupted Slate. He turned to Margaret and Becky. "Is this where _all_ the workers are forced stay?" (Margaret nodded.) "Do you have a guestbook...?"

While Becky fetched the guestbook, Slate continued his ramble. "I just wanted to brighten up the area with a mural... but those brutes called it _graffiti!_ They said they had a job for me, since I enjoyed painting so much—"

Becky handed Luke the guestbook. He rifled through it; there were two hundred and thirty workers' names in alphabetical order with photos next to them. The workers' miserable faces resembled mug-shots.

Luke's eyes widened when he reached 'H' for Hardy. He exclaimed, "It's _Roddy's dad!"_ Surely, Hardy would help them if it meant he could see his family again.

"Who?" Becky and Sissel said together.

"I need to borrow this," Luke said, putting the guestbook under his arm. "It's so we can evacuate everyone from this part of London."

"Oh, thank the muse!" Slate heaved out a sigh. "I won't have to finish that blasted statue..."

Luke regarded the bronze stains on his clothes again. "What statue?"

"The one in the plaza. It's a memorial of a man in a top hat and a little boy." Slate wrung his hands together. "They wanted me to finish it before it was moved…"

Luke grinned at Sissel. "I know how we can get into the lab."

* * *

[[*Sigh* Took about a year but I finally managed to update this. I'm in the process of going through the whole fic and making a couple of edits. I know it's unprofessional to go back and edit a chapter after writing it, but then again, this isn't a professional piece of writing, sorry. My life is so busy right now and it's only going to get busier as I enter my third year of university. That doesn't mean I won't try my best to finish this story and have fun doing it, though. And I can't thank everyone enough for reading this and leaving favourites and comments.]]


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